Water Conditions:
New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,050,697 acre-feet of water. The lake level rose a bit this week and is currently at 949 ft. above sea level and 137 ft. from full. The water is very clear in some areas and slightly stained in others, with a little bit of debris on the surface. The average water temperature is 52-55 degrees with some areas reaching 57-58 degrees on warm sunny days. The lake has turned over. The boat launch ramps at Tuttletown and Glory Hole Point are both open.

Trout:
Good. The trout bite has been really good this winter and should continue to be for another couple months. With recent rain and cloud cover the fish can be found cruising near the shoreline in search of food. The creek channels and feeder creeks have some water flowing creating a food source and adding oxygen to the area. The Department of Fish and Game has had multiple plants of rainbow trout so far and has more scheduled.

Bank anglers
are catching fish off of Glory Hole Point and near the Tuttletown boat launch. Try fishing wind protected pockets, drainages and coves just off of the main lake. Power Bait and Gulp Eggs fished off of the bottom will work well. Following a storm many fish will look for nightcrawlers and other insects that might have been washed into the lake. Try using a worm threader and worm blower to thread and float a crawler off of the bottom. For anglers who prefer using artificial presentations, try fan casting Kastmasters and Krocodiles. Remember to use gold, copper, and bright painted spoons, blades, and flashers during overcast weather.

Trolling anglers should try fishing from 15' to the surface. The Rapala Scatter Rap is a great lure for top-lining. It can be fished fairly fast and be used to search for fish and cover water. Also, a teardrop dodger with a threaded crawler has been and is always a good fish catching presentation. Be sure to let out plenty of line 150-200". Scents work really well in the winter months. Try adding garlic, shad, or nightcrawler scent to your baits.

Kokanee:
Done for the season and done spawning upriver. The fish generally start biting again in the spring mid-April into May. We have had reports of some 10-13" fish here and there but not enough to consistently target them.

Bass:
Fair. The bass bite has been hit and miss. When you find the fish you can catch a bunch of fat 2-4 pound spotted bass. The hard part is spotted bass tend to roam, they will be there one day and gone the next. The key use your electronics to locate fish and bait. Once the fish have been located try using a drop shot rig fished vertically over the top of them. Small shad patterned baits and light fluorocarbon line is the best way to get them to bite. Another way to search for fish is by slowing down a bit and using baits that crawl across the bottom. A Carolina Rigged Brush Hog or Senko will work well as a slow dragging presentation. Or a ?? oz darthead tube or grub fished on the fall and twitched back to the boat will work. There has been a decent jig bite and should get better with fish moving up for pre-spawn. ??- ?? oz. football jigs are good sizes that are easy to fish at various depths. Try using a crawdad colored twin tail grub, Brush Hog, or Beaver as a trailer. California Reservoir Lures makes very durable jigs that are designed specifically for our Motherlode lakes. 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. The water temperature is warming faster than most years due to lack of rain and extremely warm weather. In past years some giant cats have been caught in shallow water during and a few days after a winter rain.