Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 330,087 acre-feet of water. The lake level came up close to five feet this past week. It is currently at 817 ft. above sea level and 269 ft. from full. The water clarity is stained due to recent rainfall and wind. Some areas are clear and not affected by the storms. There is some debris floating on the surface. The water temperature remains cool, with the average being 50-54 degrees. The dam area is 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. The DFG has recently planted fish in New Melones. So far it has been an extremely slow start for our winter trout bite. Usually we would have seen a bunch of limits being caught. The winter months are generally the best time to target large holdover trout from the bank or from a boat. We remain hopeful that the fish will move shallow soon and we will get to see some of those nice fish being caught. Bank anglers will have best luck soaking bait along the shoreline. Try using a ball of Power Bait on a standard bait rig. Use a light wire hook to ensure you bait remains floating. Also, try floating a mallow/crawler combo. There is quite a bit of wood and cover on the bottom of the lake at the current lake level. It is best to use a long leader and present your bait above the cover. Boating anglers should try top-lining a Rapala floating minnow 200' behind the boat. When searching for fish it is often times best to use an over sized lure that is bright in color. Large baits will be easy for the fish to find and the brighter colors will catch their attention. Trout thrive in cold and clear water. Look for areas that have cleared up, have better water visibility and are slightly colder. If the trolling doesn't pan out, move to shallow water pockets on the main lake and try fan casting spoons. These patterns have been proven fish catchers for years and will help anglers locate and catch the first trout to move up. 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. Generally we will start seeing a few fish caught in April.

Bass: Okay. New Melones continues to offer some of the best bass fishing in the Mother Lode. The lake has a great population of healthy 2-pound spotted bass and it is not uncommon to catch 3 to 4-pound spots. A spotted bass will feed three times more often than a largemouth, making them a good species to target during the colder months. Try fishing from 15-65' to locate fish that are willing to bite. A football head jig is a great choice to target fish in both deep and shallow water. A 3/8oz. to 3/4oz. head with a brown or green pumpkin skirt is a good choice. Fish slow and patient knowing the bass are not willing to chase. It is not a bad idea to add scent to your jig and trailer. This will help the fish locate the bait and hold on longer after biting. A drop-shot rig is also a must have for winter time fishing. Keep an eye on your graph, a lower the bait to any fish that you find. Switch colors until you find what the fish are looking for. Brown, green and purple are good colors, and often times a shad pattern will work best. Try nose hooking the bait in open water and rigging it weedless when fishing near standing timber and submerged brush. Search the main lake and major creek arms for schools of shad. Once you find a large concentration of bait you can use a vertical jigging spoon or a small swimbait to catch a bunch of fish. Be sure to bring a fizzing needle and take good care of our fishery. 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: Slow. Some anglers will target catfish all year long. When fishing for catfish in cold water you can expect to get very few bites. Some huge catfish do get caught during the winter, often by anglers targeting trout. Power Bait dough, nightcrawlers and marshmallow will work for both trout and catfish. Try fishing near the main river channel and deep water. Use plenty of scent to draw fish to your bait.

Crappie: Slow. Very few anglers target crappie at this time of the year. They will school up and feed on shad along with the bass and trout. Try using live minnows or vertical jigging spoons if you can locate a school of crappie. They will generally be found holding tight to large, isolated standing timber.