Fishing Report

Water Conditions

New Melones Lake is currently holding 542,316 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped less than one foot this past week and it appears more water is being held and less is being released. It is currently at 866 ft. above sea level and 219 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 still a two lane concrete ramp with a courtesy dock which should remain until 865' in elevation. There is also a courtesy dock on the dirt launch which will be in place for the remainder of the summer.

Trout

It is not the best time of year to be fishing for trout. Most of the fish will be in deep/cool water making them much harder to find and catch. Once the surface temperature starts to drop, the fish will become more active and start to move toward the surface. Trolling anglers are catching very few trout and kokanee. Trolling in deep water down to 100' will be your best bet at catching trout. The good news is the trout are starting to get big again and range from 2 to 4-pounds. This winter we might see some giant trout being caught in shallow water. There have not been many night anglers targeting the trout. This is the best time of the year to drop a submersible light and catch some chunk rainbows. Live minnows are hard to beat. Soaking nightcrawlers and Power Bait will also attract fish. Bank anglers should head to the high country and fish some of the local lakes and streams. 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

The kokanee are on the move upriver to spawn and few fish are being caught. Try trolling large presentations that will disperse water and create sound and vibration. There are not many kokanee being caught, but if you do hook into one there is a good chance it is a nice fish weighing over 2-pounds. Most of the fish will be in the deepest areas of New Melones in the main body and the old river channel. Scent will also help draw more strikes. Add scent to your presentation our tie an Oregon Tackle Scent Chamber inline to ensure you are leaving a scent trail.

Bass

The weather has cooled a bit and the water is not dropping as fast. Many fish are still pulled off the shoreline. The bite has been a little on the tough side with many fish being finicky and not willing to chase. Presentations that can be left in the strike zone for a period of time will draw strikes. Try using a dropshot with a small shad patterned soft plastic. Use a light weight, many of the fish will bite on the initial fall. Be patient it may take a few minutes to entice nearby fish. There are always fish that will feed on bottom bouncing presentations. Try using a shakey head with your favorite soft plastic worm. Both shad and crawdad colors will work. Once again the key to getting bites is fishing very methodically and leaving the bait in the strike zone for a period of time. First thing in the morning and late in the evening there is an opportunity to catch a few fish on topwater baits. Small poppers, ploppers and walk-the-dog baits have been working. 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.

Ryan Norwood and Wyatt Wilson caught a couple nice catfish while soaking shad and anchovies during the night.

Catfish

This is great time of year to target catfish and many of the largest cats will be caught in the late summer and fall months. Most of the large catfish are caught in fairly shallow water ranging from 5' to 25'. When fishing from the shore it is best to make short casts or cast down the bank away from where you are sitting. From a boat, look for shallow flats, humps and saddles where the catfish will move up and feed. Catfish on New Melones will feed heavily on small sunfish and shad. Try using frozen shad and live minnows to offer them a meal they are accustomed to eating. It is also a good idea to vary your presentations throughout the trip. Many catfish are caught on chicken liver and nightcrawlers. Switch your bait, depth and area until you find where they are located and what they want to bite.

Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to Floyd Crow of Tuolumne. He caught a giant 14-pound, 4-ounce catfish while soaking mackerel in 20' of water near Black Bart Cove.

Crappie

We have had reports of anglers catching some really nice crappie while fishing at night under a submersible light. The crappie will hold near standing timber. The shad will be drawn to the light and the crappie will soon follow. Try fishing multiple areas each night until you find an area that has a good population of crappie. Use live minnows, mini jigs and small swimbaits fished under a slip-float.