Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 558,722 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped two feet this past week. It is currently at 870 ft. above sea level and 215 ft. from full. The water clarity is clear in most of the lake with a slight stain in some areas. The water temperature is warm, with the average being 78-82 degrees.

There is a two lane concrete ramp with a courtesy dock in place. There will be a courtesy dock on the dirt launch once the lake drops down to that elevation, which is approximately 865' in elevation.

Doug White of Sonora caught a nice 2-pound, 7-ounce rainbow trout while trolling for kokanee.

Trout: Fair. The trout bite has been tough, but a few anglers are catching some really nice ones and an occasional limit. The trout are growing daily and we have weighed many fish over 3-pounds. The fall bite should be good and we hope to see plenty of 2 to 4-pound fish being caught. The water temperature is hot and the trout are in extremely deep water where it is much cooler. Trolling anglers have been dropping down to 100' to find both trout and kokanee. The lake is full of shad which will continue to feed these chunky fish. To catch the trout try using a lure and blade combination that will produce sound and vibration. Large slingblades with a shad patterned spoon should do the trick. Speedy Shiners and Needlefish are both good choices. Gold and copper will create more flash than silver. Keep this in mind when selecting blade colors. Night anglers have been catching some trout while fishing under a submersible light. There are few anglers trying this technique, but the ones that are have caught some healthy trout. Look for deep water areas and draw the bait and the trout up toward the light. Live minnows or artificial minnows will work best. Bank anglers should head to the high country to fish for trout. Spicer Reservoir is a beautiful lake and many anglers are catching limits of trout.

Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to Doug Modlin of Murphys. He caught a large 3-pound, 5-ounce rainbow trout while trolling a pink slingblade trailed by a pink hoochie.

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. The kokanee season is winding down. We saw just a few kokanee caught this week. The ones being caught, are large and a pushing 20" and are holding in deep water ranging from 80-100'. The lake record is 2.8-pounds and was caught by Ray Koch of Escalon in 2007. The largest one that we heard of this year was 2.4-pounds. The lake record is out there and the next few weeks some lucky angler might catch it. It takes patience and the bites are few and far between, but the chance at a kokanee of this size does not come often. The fish will continue to hold in deep/cool water and will start to migrate upriver for their annual spawn. Try fishing in the main lake and up toward the 49-bridge.

Use your GPS to ensure you are trolling over the main river channel. Large blades will work best at this time of the year. Swing and vibration are very important and will draw strikes from the largest kokanee.

Also use lure combinations that have a large profile. An Apex/hoochie combo is tough to beat. Also, many anglers will modify spinners by adding more beads, larger blades and a wiggle disc to increase the action. Be sure to add scent and tip each hook with a piece of shoepeg corn.

Mike Vaeth caught a beautiful 18" kokanee out of 85' of water. He caught it on a pink Uncle Larry's Spinner trolled behind a UV pink slingblade, both purchased the morning of at Glory Hole Sports along with a delicious breakfast burrito. That's a recipe for success.

Bass: Okay. The bass bite will be best during low light conditions. Try fishing early in the mornings, late evenings or during the night. The water continues to drop and the bass will pull of the shoreline and hold near deep water. The shad are also in the deepest portions of the lake and many of the bass will follow and suspend near them for the rest of the summer. The topwater bit has been slow, but there is always a chance at a few blowups. Use poppers that are the same size and color as the forage. Shad and baby bass patterns will work best. Use your electronics to locate the bait and the bass will be nearby. Some of the shad that the bass are feeding on are extremely small. Using a small shad pattern worm fished on a dropshot rig is a great way to coax some of these finicky fish into biting. PLEASE PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE. Take photos and carefully release the fish back into to the lake to maintain a healthy fish population for generations to come.

Catfish: Good. Many anglers are catching some quality 4 to 10-pound catfish on each outing. The best time to target the cats is in the mornings, evenings and during the night. The catfish will move shallow to feed and it is best to target 5 to 15' of water. Look for areas with both rock and trees. The catfish will feed on shad and small sunfish. Try using frozen shad or sardines to coax these fish eaters into biting. Many anglers will stick to traditional baits such as nightcrawlers and chicken livers. Both baits will work and catch some giant cats each year.

Crappie: Good. The crappie continue to bite and many anglers are catching them in the middle of the day. Try using small crappie jigs, mini jigs and spinners to locate the crappie. They will be holding near standing timber near shallow water. The night bite has also been productive. Live minnows fished under a slip-float work extremely well. Drop a submersible light and set your bobber-stop to ensure your minnow is just below the light.