Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 276,593 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped three feet in the past two weeks. It is currently at 801 ft. above sea level and 284 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 72-76 degrees. The dam area has been buoyed off due to current that is created when releasing water. Glory Hole Point boat launch is a one 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. Hopefully we are approaching the last few weeks of an extremely long summer. The water temperature is starting to drop, due to the cooler air temperatures throughout the night. Trout are much more comfortable in cool water conditions and will become very active. The shad will start to school up and start migrating into shallow water and creek channels. The trout will follow the shad and use them as their primary food source. Pay close attention to the air and water temperatures and find this pattern when it first starts. Another factor that will help improve the trout fishing is rain. The fresh water flowing into the reservoir will cool the water and create a current. These patterns are going to be here soon, we hope. 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: Done. We have not had any kokanee reports for awhile now. Typically this is when they start to move up river to spawn.

Bass: Fair. The bass bite on New Melones has been tough for most and okay for some. The majority of fish are pulled off the shoreline and suspended over deep water. These suspended fish are tough to locate and there are just a few ways to successfully catch them. One way to find them is with your electronics. Once you see bait and fish on the graph you can fish a vertical presentation to catch them. Try using a shad pattern worm fished on a drop-shot rig or jigging spoon fished directly under the boat. Another way to catch suspended fish is with a rip-bait. A good choice would be a Lucky Craft Staycee 90 or a Pointer. It is good to match the hatch, but with the stained water is also good to incorporate some brighter colors as well. Some fish will not suspend and can be caught dragging baits on the bottom. These fish are usually targeting crawdads. Try using baits that resemble a natural crawdad. Football head jigs are a good choice. California Reservoir Lures offers a variety of jig colors that are tied specifically for fishing the Motherlode Lakes. 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: Good. This has been a great year for catfishing and the conditions continue to be ideal. The water temperature has cool a little bit and we expect it to continue to cool. Some of the largest catfish ever weighed at Glory Hole Sports were during the transition from summer heat into the fall. To target these lunker cats try using a whole mackerel and an over sized hook. The big bait will detour small fish, leaving your presentation for the giants that swim by. Catfish are known to be bottom-feeders but, they actually feed all throughout the water column. Catfish are opportunistic feeders. This means they rarely pass up the chance to fill their bellies. The lake has an abundance of small shad and that is most likely what the catfish are feeding on. Try using frozen shad or live minnows to entice nearby feeding fish. Some catfish will leave the bottom and feed in the middle of the water column. Try using a slip-float and a bobber stop to target these fish. Set the bobber stop to your desired depth and try fishing near structure that would be a good area to ambush shad. Each year many catfish are caught on a nightcrawler/marshmallow rig. The mallow will float the crawler off of the bottom making it easy for the fish to locate. Remember catfish have very poor eyesight. It is a good idea to add additional scent to your presentation.

Crappie: Good. We have had a few reports of anglers catching some nice crappie. They have not been catching a bunch, but the ones that are biting are nice and weigh up to 2-pounds. Crappie mini jigs and minnow-like soft plastic will often out fish live minnows when fished properly. Try using light line on an ultra light spinning setup to coax the larger slab-sides into biting.