Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 516,856 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped close to a foot this week and is currently at 860 ft. above sea level and 216 ft. from full. The water clarity is stained in some areas, and clear in others. The water temperature continues to cool with the average being 66-70 degrees. Tuttletown launch is closed. Glory Hole Point boat launch is the road leading off the end of the point. It is a dirt launch without courtesy docks and 4wd is recommended.


Trout: Fair. Cooler nights have moved the trout into shallow water and some trolling anglers are starting to catch them. It would not be a bad idea to use leadcore line or try top-lining. The large rainbows will feed heavily on shad. There is an abundance of smaller one to two inch shad that the fish are spitting up. Trolling anglers try using small spoons trolled in tandem. Excel Spoons and Needlefish in shad patterns will work in clear water and brighter colors will work well if there is a little stain. It is a good time to use ball trolls to resemble a school of shad. Umbrella rigs work great attached to the downrigger ball. To target the large browns try rolling shad or using a large billed plug. Bank fishing anglers are starting to catch a few fish but it has been pretty slow. Try floating a ball of rainbow or chartreuse Power Bait with a long leader off of the bottom. Fly fishing anglers the bite has been pretty good fishing local streams and rivers. The season is near ending in most rivers and streams. Try using dry fly patterns in the mornings and evenings and fishing nymphs and buggers mid day. We do encourage catch and release for the brown trout as The Department of Fish and Game will no longer be planting them. Carefully measure, weigh and photograph trophy fish and send us pictures and information.


Kokanee: Done. The fish have entered spawn mode and will soon start dying off. We have not seen or heard of any in shallow water.


Bass: Good. The fishing has been a little hit and miss, but once you locate the bait fish you will be able to catch a bunch of bass nearby that are feeding on them. Spooning and drop-shotting are two great methods that can be used to catch fish that are keying on balls of shad. Mack's Sonic Baitfish, Kastmasters and Duh Spoons are good choices when selecting spoons. Smaller spoons have been working best. Roboworms and Berkley Minnows have been producing fish on a drop shot rig. The shad are moving from deep water toward shallow cuts and pockets, the bass are hunting them in wolf packs. There are a lot of fish that are suspended in 35-55' of water. There has been a pretty good reaction bite with a handful of fish biting crank baits, jerk baits and small swimbaits. The jig bite continues to be productive. Try dragging crawdad patterns with a matching twin tail grub or swimming a shad patterned jig with a single tail grub or small swim bait. Try fishing cuts, bluffs and points near major creek channels and the main river channel. 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: Very Good. -SIGN UP FOR OUR NOVEMBER CATFISH CONTEST- This is a great time of year to target the large cats. With winter right around the corner they are going to feed heavily in preparation of the colder winter months. They will move shallow throughout the day and night to feed primarily on other fish and crawdads. The bass and trout are ambushing the schools of shad. They will often kill more than they eat leaving some wounded and dead shad for the cats to clean up. Some cats become very aggressive and will crash the bait along side other predator fish. Frozen shad is a good choice of bait for this reason. Other frozen fish baits like sardines, mackerel and anchovies will work as well. Also, bring some crawlers and chicken liver. These two baits have been fooling the cats for years. Stink baits and Power Bait are often overlooked but will sometimes attract cats that don't want to mess with larger offerings. Another trick that has been working to catch more fish is, instead of using a swivel, use an Oregon Tackle Scent Chamber. This will replace your swivel and can be filled with Pro Cure scent that will slowly leak out and cover the area with scent.


Crappie: Very Slow. It's been a tough year and we have seen very few crappie. The crappie will feed on shad along side bass and trout. Live minnows work best.