Water Conditions

New Melones Lake is currently holding 726,891 acre-feet of water. The lake level came up sixteen feet this past week and will continue to rise with the recent and upcoming rainfall. It is currently at 900 ft. above sea level and 183 ft. from full. The water clarity is clear in most of the lake with a slight stain in some areas. There is some debris floating on the surface. The water temperature has cooled, with the average being 51-54 degrees.

THE FOUR LANE CONCRETE RAMP ON GLORY HOLE POINT IS OPEN!!

Trout

The lake has turned over and the trout fishing has been really good. Most anglers are catching limits of both planted and holdover rainbow trout. The lake level has been quickly rising with fresh water flowing in all the major tributaries. The trout can be caught in many different areas of lake. Trolling anglers have been top-lining to find success. Try using billed trolling plugs to target different depths near the surface. A Floating Rapala will dive 3' to 7' and a Shad Rap will troll down 8' to 12' depending on line diameter, speed and the amount of line let out. It is best to let out 200' of line to ensure you clear the boat wake. Some anglers have been using spoons tipped will a crawler to catch limits. We have a few cloudy days in the forecast making gold and copper good color choices. It should be clear by the weekend and natural shad patterns will work well. Be sure to experiment with different presentations and colors when you are on the water. Bank anglers continue to haul in some really nice rainbows from the shoreline. Most anglers are catching both planted and holdover rainbow trout. Try using garlic Power Bait with a live crawler or an artificial crawler. The trout are swimming near the shoreline, so a long cast is not needed. Make a short pitch into shallow water and let your bait soak. With a second rod stamp you can use a casting lure to search for fish while your bait soaks.

Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to Aiden and Aria Carr. They caught a 3-pound, 8-ounce holdover rainbow while soaking Power Bait off of Glory Hole Point.

We do encourage catch and release of brown trout, as there does not seem to be a large population of them in the lake. Carefully measure, weigh and photograph trophy fish and send us pictures and information.

Kokanee

The season has come to an end and the kokanee most likely are done spawning. April is a good month to start targeting the kokanee again.

Bass

The bass bite has been good for the last couple of weeks. Most anglers are catching some healthy wintertime spotted bass with the occasional monster largemouth being caught. The lake is coming up extremely fast and changing daily. Some fish will hold deep and wait for conditions to stabilize, while others will move up immediately to investigate newly submerged structure. The fish that are holding on steep banks are less likely to be effected by quickly rising water. Try using a darthead worm fished down rocky bluffs and steep dirt banks. A darthead is a good choice because the fish will eat it on the fall in shallow water or pick it off the bottom in deep water. Natural crawdad colors work well and a bit of chartreuse will trigger strikes in stained water. Many of the shad can be found in the major creek channels. This fresh water flowing into the lake should bring the shad up to shallower water. Look for balls of bait on your fish finder and then try lowering a spoon or dropshot down. If the water has a little stain to it, the spoon is a great choice. Gold is a good color and the vibration of the spoon popping and fluttering will attract fish from a distance. Many fish will hold tight to the bottom and can be caught on jigs and shakeyheads. A jig can be fished slowly across the bottom to tempt those bass that are feeding on crawdads. Try using a light jig when fishing in shallow water and switching to a heavy jig in deep water. The shakeyhead is very weedless and is a great rig for fishing near wood. Try switching soft plastic baits throughout the day until you find the size and color they are looking for. 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

Fishing for catfish during the winter months is usually pretty slow. Large fish can be caught at this time each year, but not many. It is best to use a ball of Power Bait or Float a crawler. This way you will have a chance to catch both trout and catfish. For specially targeting giant cats, try using a whole mackerel with a double hook rig. These fish tend to hibernate during the cold months and will only move to eat a substantial meal.

Crappie

Very few anglers have been targeting the crappie. The winter months can be good and the crappie will move into creek arms.