Anglers are catching a mix of trout, striped bass, largemouth bass and catfish at Los Vaqueros Res.

Los Vaqueros Reservoir - Livermore, CA (Contra Costa County)


by Los Vaqueros Staff
6-13-2013
(925) 371-2628
Website

GENERAL CONDITIONS
Anglers are catching a mix of trout, striped bass, largemouth bass and catfish. The water level is now 113,000 acre feet and the water level is rising. Our water temperature is 67- 68 degrees in 3 feet of water and in excellent condition for fishing.

Rattlesnakes continue to be out and active so caution is advised. Watch where you are walking, stay out of high grass and stay out of rocky areas. Never try to pick one up or kill one. Eagles are nesting so some trail closures are in effect. Information on trails is available at the gates, marina or on the CCWD web site.

We are headed into the fire season so extreme caution with any fire sources is required. June is traditionally a windy month so call ahead if you are thinking about renting a boat.

The North entrance to the reservoir is open with a few limitations. Access to the reservoir for fishing at the north entrance is open but requires a strenuous 2 mile hike up and over a major hill. Caution is advised. The fishing platform can not open until the reservoir rises another 12 or 13 feet. See the CCWD web site for details. The Interpretive Center is open from 9 to 4 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Check out some of the special events that are coming up this summer. Information is available on the CCWD web site.

The trout we tagged for the April 20 derby will continue to be valid for prizes through the middle of June. We have some nice rods and reels, storage boxes and boat rentals to give away.

PLEASE NOTE:
We are still giving out Whopper mugs. Our program has changed some so check with us at the marina. It takes a 5 lb trout to earn a mug, 12 lb striper, 12 lb catfish or a released 5 lb largemouth bass. We have 2013 State of California Fishing Licenses for sale at the marina. Fish and Game has been checking fishing licenses so make such you have one for everyone 16 and over. We suggest taking advantage of the second rod stamp that is available.

TROUT
We will be planting another load of 1000 lbs of trout from the Mount Lassen hatchery sometime this week. We planted 1000 lbs of trout from Mt. Lassen on June 4 and May 24. Trout fishing continues to provide the best action for anglers at the reservoir.

Fishing for trout has been fair to excellent depending on anglers skill level and luck. Fish average a pound and a half but range up to 5 lbs. We see limits of trout caught every day. Fishing from shore in the South Cove continues to be a good choice for trout but anglers are catching trout all along the open shoreline. Many of the points past the rock wall have been very good lately. Garlic power bait, chartreuse and orange mice tails, rainbow power bait and nightcrawlers are all good choices. Garlic scent on any bait seems to help. It is important to use 3- 4 feet of leader. Using light line also helps; 4 to 6 lb test is plenty. Some anglers use Fluorocarbon leaders. There is no need for heavy weights. Short casts are often more productive than long casts. Anglers catch trout throwing kastmasters, blue fox lures and a variety of other trout lures. Don't be afraid to move locations and change your baits if you are not catching fish.

Trolling for trout is very good when you can get on the water. The boats that have gone out have done very well. The successful reports we are receiving are from anglers trolling a variety of Rapala's in Cowboy Cove, off of points and in Howden cove. Mix it up until you start catching fish. The fish are holding between 12 and 15 feet in 25 to 30 feet of water. Try different colors and sizes of lures until you start catching fish. Rapala Countdowns seem to be effective on big trout. Steel green, a rainbow pattern and black and silver have been good color choices lately. Trollers also catch trout on a variety of other lures.

As the weather warms fishing will be better early and late in the day. The mid day heat makes it tough fishing as well as catching.

As the water rises we will see lots of changes on where anglers catch fish. If you come out fishing take a good look around you because the next time you are visiting a lot of shoreline will be covered by water.

LARGEMOUTH BASS
Some anglers continue to catch a few bass on senko's but overall it is slow. As the reservoir level continues to rise more and more excellent bass habitat will be created. Please release any big largemouth bass you might catch. They are the future of largemouth bass fishing in the reservoir. When the winds let up and anglers are able to explore other areas of the reservoir we hope to see an improvement in the largemouth fishing. Top bass this week was around 5 lbs.

STRIPER
Not much to report from anglers fishing from boats for stripers. Anglers trolling continue to take some school size stripers.

Fishing for stripers from the shore is fair with a few anglers catching limits. Anchovies or shad should do the trick when bait fishing. Stripers need to be 18 inches or more. We are seeing lots of under size fish being caught and released. Please release the small fish as quickly and carefully as possible. They are the future of our striped bass fishery. We have not seen any large striped bass caught recently as all the keeper stripers are in the 18 to 22 inch range.

CATFISH
Fishing for catfish surprising continues hit and miss. Anchovies, liver, mackerel and nightcrawlers all will catch catfish. We suggest fishing with as little weight as possible and watch for very soft bites. The back of cowboy cove and the south cove are good bets. We encourage and appreciate the release of any monster catfish (20 lbs plus). No big catfish were weighted in this week.

HOURS OF OPERATION
Open seven days a week 6:00am - 8:00pm
Boats are due in by 6:30pm.
These hours remain in effect through August.


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More Reports

6-6-2013
GENERAL CONDITIONS The wind finally let up a little and boats have been able to go out for at least a half a day over the last 5 days. This is still a windy time of the year for us so we suggest calling first if you are interested in renting a boat. Anglers are catching trout, striped bass, largemouth bass and a few catfish. The water level is now 112,000 acre feet and water is being pumped into the reservoir...... Read More

5-31-2013
GENERAL CONDITIONS Although the wind kept anglers off the water on most days shore anglers continue to have good luck catching trout and striped bass. Anglers are also catching a few largemouth bass and catfish. The water level is now 112,000 acre feet and but should start to come up on June 1. Our water temperature is 64-65 degrees and in excellent condition for fishing. Rattlesnakes continue to be out and active so caution is advised. Watch where you are walking,...... Read More