Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 325,916 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped four feet this last week. It is currently at 815 ft. above sea level and 273 ft. from full. The water clarity is stained in many areas and will occasionally clear up. The water temperature is warm, with the average being 76-81 degrees. Glory Hole Point boat launch is a two lane dirt and gravel road leading off of the end of the point. There is not a courtesy dock and it is best to launch with a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

Trout: Slow. A few anglers tried their luck and went out in search of the trout. Most of them reported a slow bite and catching bass suspended in the main lake. The shad are holding in the main lake where the water temperatures are cooler. The trout are holding near the shad along with any other species that will use the shad as their food source. Trolling anglers have found luck using spoons and trolling at a faster 3-3.5mph speed. Speedy Shiners work well when trolling fast. The water clarity is stained. Bright colors and gold will draw strikes when visibility is low. Another lure that has worked in the past when fishing the deep water, late summer pattern, is the Rattle Trap. This lure has a violent wiggle that produces a constant rattle and creates a bunch of commotion. Night anglers are still catching trout while fishing under a submersible light. Try anchoring the boat in 40-60' of water and dropping the light down to 15' of water. Bank anglers should head to the high country to target trout. We do encourage catch and release for the brown trout as The Department of Fish and Game will no longer be planting them. Carefully measure, weigh and photograph trophy fish and send us pictures and information.

Kokanee: Slow. There are very few anglers targeting kokanee and the last month the bite as been slow. Generally during August and September the kokanee will hold in much deeper water. Try trolling in water from 80-100'. There are still portions of the main lake where the water exceeds 200' in depth. Between the old dam and the new dam your can still find 300' of water. It is important to stay over the main river channel and the main lake when trolling deep to avoid snags. Use your GPS or purchase a topographical map to locate the old lake and to avoid island tops. Dark colors and vibration will be the key to success. We have some pre-rigged bladed hoochies that are designed to attract fish in deep/dark/stained water. Use plenty of scent and tip each hook with shoepeg corn.

Bass: Okay. The bass bite has been getting a little tough as we work our way through the dog days of summer. Fortunately there is an abundance of spotted bass and they seem eager to feed a few times a day. The shad are suspended over the main lake and the bass have followed them out there. These suspended fish can be hard to target with conventional cast and retrieve methods. Try using a deep diving crankbait or counting down a small swimbait or underspin. Some fish will always be on structure there are just fewer of them. Try using a football head jig to bounce the bottom and work your way through the wood. The night fishing bite has been better than the day bite. Try slow rolling a black spinnerbait with a single Colorado blade with a small boot-tail trailer. This bait will create a thumping sound with the rotation of the blade and the wag of the tail. Topwater baits are extremely fun to fish and will draw explosions at night. If the fish are finicky and not biting reaction type baits, try using a slower approach. A Zoom Magnum Lizard or a Berkley Power Worm crawling along the bottom will often tempt big lazy bass. It is a good idea to use scent on your soft plastics at night. PLEASE PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE. The bigger fish are the future of our lake. Take photos and carefully release the fish back into to the lake to maintain a healthy fish population for generations to come.

Catfish: Great. The catfish are still feeding shallow and bank anglers continue to catch some nice ones. The catfish will swim along the shoreline in search of food. Traditionally catfish are considered bottom feeders, but they are actually fairly aggressive and will hunt for their prey much like a bass would. They also have very poor eyesight and rely on smell and vibration to track down each meal. Keep this in mind and be sure you add scent and movement to your setup. Most of the time the natural scent of frozen fish will be enough, but it's not a bad idea to add additional scent. To create movement and vibration try using a bead below the weight. Lightly shake your rod to make the weight and bead tick. On a calm night or in stained water this will help fish locate the bait. Just a little sound can go a long way.

Crappie: Good. The last time the lake was this low the crappie fishing in the mid to late summer was really good. There is a bunch of standing that is lining the lake. The crappie will hold in the timber and ambush schools of small shad as they come by. Try finding an area where the timber is near deep water. Anchor and drop a submersible light to attract nearby crappie. Live minnows and crappie jigs work best.