Water Conditions

New Melones Lake is currently holding 992,264 acre-feet of water. The lake level came up five feet this past week and will continue to rise with the recent and upcoming rainfall. It is currently at 941 ft. above sea level and 142 ft. from full. The water clarity is stained in most of the lake with some areas clearing faster than others. There is scattered debris floating on the surface throughout the lake. The water temperature dropped, with the average being 49-52 degrees. THE FOUR LANE CONCRETE RAMP ON GLORY HOLE POINT IS OPEN!

Trout

The lake was beautiful this past week with water being up and absolutely gorgeous weather. The trout are up near the surface and can be caught using a variety of fishing methods. The surface temperature has cooled, making conditions perfect for wintertime trout fishing. They will feel comfortable up near the surface and be more willing to feed throughout the day. Bank anglers are catching fish on Glory Hole Point and near the 49-bridge. Try soaking Power Bait or mallows in combination with a nightcrawler. With the water being a little stained it is very important to use bait that has a strong scent. Some baits come pre-scented or additional scent can be added. Bright colors will also attract fish as they swim near your presentation. Trolling anglers will find the trout in many different areas of the lake. Upriver the water is less stained and there are trout holding near creek channels and coves. Try using a billed plug or a spoon for top-lining. It is very important to let out plenty of line.150-200 ft is recommended. Bright colors seem to be triggering more strikes than the natural ones. Firetiger, orange and chartreuse are great colors to use that will draw fish from a distance. Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week goes to Ted Campbell of Sonora. He caught a giant 5-pound, 12-ounce rainbow trout on a nightcrawler while fishing near the boat launch. 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

With the water rising each week, the fish can be found at many different depths throughout the day. Anglers have been catching them in 15-50 ft of water. With the water temperature being colder, a slow presentation will work best. Most anglers are catching fish using baits that can be crawled across the bottom. There is some grass lining the lake. Arkie head jigs are a good choice and will pull through grass much better than a football head jig. A Texas Rig or Carolina Rig is also a good choice and has been producing numbers and quality as well. Some anglers are catching a few giant fish on trout patterned swimbaits. On Saturday January 28th we held our Glory Hole Sports Big Bass Bash. 25-boats came out to fish this two fish tournament format, where anglers try and catch one giant largemouth and one big spotted bass. 1st place goes to John Liechty and Daniel Perkins Jr. They brought in two fish for 10.73-pounds, including the biggest largemouth weighing 8.22-pounds. That fish was caught on a baby brush hog first thing in the morning. 2nd place went to Kyle Rasmussen and Joe Menzes with a total weight of 8.68-pounds. And rounding out the top three was Collin and Jace Degough with 8.59-pounds. They caught the biggest spotted bass, a 4.74-pound beauty. 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

The catfish bite during the winter months is generally pretty slow. The catfish will hunker down and only feed occasionally. However, as the water rises the fish will move up. There will be small critters that are trapped during these conditions and the catfish will often take advantage. Nightcrawler are a good choice for bait during the cold winter months and into the spring. A little scent will also help the fish locate your bait.

Crappie

The crappie are starting to bite and the prime time to catch them is right around the corner. With the recent rising water level the crappie will start to move back into some of the coves and creek channels. They love flooded brush and vegetation. Try using small spinners or mini jigs to locate crappie. We will have live minnow in a couple weeks. They work extremely well for locating schools of fish.