We have gotten an early start on spring planting and have weekly plants scheduled at least until mid-May. Currently all of the plants scheduled are private plants which means bigger trout and more trophy sized fish than we typically get off the truck any given year.

The lake is up substantially and is now approaching 20ft from spill. Surface temperatures are still low, averaging around 47F with visibility at about 4ft. During the first half of January, PowerBait from or near shore has been a good bet what with water still somewhat murky. That said, we are beginning to see some trout hit lures in the topwater. Glenn Marcy of Penn Valley caught this 9.85lb trout on a gold Rapala up by the powerlines:

Max Bell of Auburn and Chris Hazen of Grass Valley showed a double limit of rainbow trout caught on lures down by the dam:

Last week Fishing Guide Wes Ward of FishHuntShoot.com reported:

We are still on a steady bite with limits for all of our clients this week, including a couple of big trout at 6 and 8 pounds. The fish are holding in shallow water very close to the shore. Floating Power Bait off the bottom has been the most consistent approach, with a few fish coming on a worm under a bobber. As water temperatures start to creep towards the 50 degree mark, we expect to start picking up some trout on the troll. If you want to join us on the water for a day of laughs, fishing, and hands-on instruction, click over to FishHuntShoot.com for info and availability.

Above: Two clients of FishHuntShoot.com, Martin and Frank show of exemplary Collins Lake Trout

Although the lake is already in much better shape than last year, we could still use more rain, and we’re hopeful that February and March will be productive in that way. In the mean time the rest of January is forecast to be sunny. Check the forecast for wind– most days are light but occasionally they will kick up a bit.

Mid-week camping is still very quiet and as of this writing we still have weekend availability for lakefront sites for trailers up to 36ft.