Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,050,027 acre-feet of water. The lake level rose very little this week and is currently at 949 ft. above sea level and 137 ft. from full. The water is fairly clear in some areas and slightly stained in others. The water temperature is in the mid to low 50's. The lake has turned over. The docks have been moved back to the middle ramp on Glory Hole Point.


Trout: Very Good. We had another week of beautiful weather and great trout fishing. The fish have moved from the main lake toward the coves and creek channels. Most fish are being caught in fairly shallow water. The surface temperature has dropped to a stable winter temperature. This has moved the majority of the trout out of the deeper water. The Department of Fish and Game has had multiple plants so far for the month of December and will continue planting fish in January as well.


Bank anglers have been doing really well of off Glory Hole Point and near the Tuttletown boat launch. Try floating Power Bait or Gulp Eggs off of the bottom. Many different colored dough baits and eggs seem to work with rainbow, chartreuse, salmon egg, and pink being favorites. Also, the fish seem drawn to the garlic scented bait. If you are fishing with a color that is not scented try adding some garlic scented oil to entice more bites. For anglers who prefer using artificial presentations, try fan casting Kastmasters and Krocodiles. Also there are fish feeding on the surface in the morning and evening. To target these fish try using a bubble/fly or fly fishing. Trolling anglers should try fishing from 30' to the surface. With a large majority of fish moving to shallow water, it's a good idea to troll near the shoreline or use a side planer. Trolling spoons have been working well. Speedy Shiners, Needlefish, and Excel Spoons are all good choices. Bright colors have been producing well. Firetiger, chartreuse, and fluorescent orange have been drawing many strikes. Be sure to let out plenty of line, 150-200'. Trout will often react to a faster troll speed from 3-5 mph. This is a great time of year to catch some large brown trout. When trolling with multiple rods it's a good idea to have one setup for browns. Try using large jointed plugs or rolling shad. When that rod hits it could be a fish of a lifetime.


Kokanee: Done for the season and done spawning upriver. The fish generally start biting again in the spring mid-April into May.


Bass: Fair. The bite seems to be getting better for most anglers. The spotted bass in Melones are chunks. When you do catch them they are usually quality 2-4 pound fish. Most fish are schooling in deep water from 40-70' and moving up throughout the day to feed. It is very important to use your electronics to locate fish and bait. Try using vertical jigging spoons near the balls of bait. A great cold water tactic is drop shot rig. Try using small shad patterned bait and light fluorocarbon line to get these finicky fish to bite. Another good thing to keep in mind is with cooling water their metabolism will slow also. Try slowing down a bit and using baits that crawl across the bottom. A ?? oz. football jig is hard to beat for this style of fishing. Try using a crawdad colored twin tail grub, Brush Hog, or Beaver as a trailer. Also, use plenty of scent and reapply multiple times throughout the day to help the fish locate your bait. With the Department of Fish and Game planting rainbows now is a good time to target giant fish with trout patterned swim baits. If you do keep a bass, please keep the small spotted bass and release the big female (largemouth) black bass. Glory Hole Sports can teach you the difference, so you can practice good conservation of the species.


Catfish: Slow. The catfish will be moving to deep water near rock piles and ledges. Most anglers don't target catfish at this time of the year. But, the ones that do will hook into some lunkers. Melones cats tend to be fish eaters. Frozen shad, anchovies, sardines, and mackerel work well for bait.