Clear cool mornings in the mid 30's the last few days. We bottomed out at 34 degrees Monday morning and 37.7 this morning. Our high temperatures have been in the low 80's but the heavy winds have kept it feeling cooler. Winds are expected to gust to 30 mph and lake advisories have been issued. Winds are expected to shift from the south to the north for Wednesday and Thursday. We have a slight chance of isolated thunderstorms today but we haven't seen any measurable moisture from any clouds that have passed our way.

Water Temperature

South basin:According to my depth finder the surface temps are 66.4 to 70.1 degrees F and a pH of 9.33
North basin: 68.1 to 71.7F (PM) pH 9.5
Middle basin: 67.6 to 70 F (PM). pH of 9.49

The Department of Fish and Game is recommending to all anglers that they practice "catch & keep" until further notice. The temperature in the shallow basins came up a little the last couple of days!

Lake Conditions

There are a few weeds here and there but most of them are pretty scattered. It's a good idea to check your lines periodically if trolling. Some places can be worst than others as shifting winds keep moving them around. But, in general the water is in pretty good shape this week. Expect cooling water temperatures to start adding a lot of color to the water. Visibility generally goes down as microscopic algae's begin dying off.

There were quite tules scattered on the surface between Pelican Point and the Youth Camp and north towards Spalding and Rocky Point this week.

Buoys are on the lake. But, this being a natural lake not all the hazards are marked. The west side of the south basin all the way to and around Pelican Point is notorious for rock piles several hundred feet from shore. Miners Point and the Youth Camp as well as the channel between Buck Point and Little Troxel Point will also hazardous areas.

Rock piles north of Pelican Point and off the airstrip in Spalding are very close to the surface. The point along the airstrip in Spalding is very shallow, don't attempt to go between the tules this fall, swing the point wide before cutting back towards the tules. There are two rock piles about 200 yards northeast of the Broccoli Tree (North side Pelican Point) that is unmarked and will be a very nasty surprise when a lower unit hits it. We will lose between 2 and 3 feet of water by fall (and maybe a little more depending on the type of summer we have) so expect the water level to drop below 5100 this season. Be careful this year.

Fishing Locations and Depths

It is very important to have proper lights on your boat. Lassen County Sheriff Department has been doing a good job of patrolling and has cited some people. It's the law and a very important safety issue.

The fishing has been tough for the average angler but some folks are coming in with a few limits here and there. There are still fish in the old haunts but the schools appear loose rather than tight which means they are starting to scatter...like some of them are starting to think about heading north. When these fish decide to start moving around, that's just what they do. The best fishing has still been very early in the morning and has been fairly steady until about 8 to 8:30 AM when it has pretty much shut down. I have found another bite come on between 10 and 11 the last few days as long as the wind cooperates.

Water temperatures have dropped slightly. I have still been catching fish in 10 to 15 feet of water but their timing has been a little different every day. One day I find them in 18 to 24 feet early in the morning and the next day in 10 to 15 feet. It takes a while to cover the depths but we have eventually found few of them before the bite goes off.

Some trout are starting to move over and north of the Miners Point ledges and towards the Biology Station as well as the south side of Pelican Point. We are still catching fish in that general area and have not had to fish water any deeper than 24 feet for the last week and fished no deeper than 12 ft deep. We are also seeing increase numbers of trout on the north side of Pelican Point but their location changes daily...but they are there and hard to catch. The water is shallow this year at an average of 5 to 7 feet deep (5 to 6 at the edge of the tules off the airstrip) and the moss beds are only a couple feet from the surface, so trolling this area will be tough. It has been pretty weedy north of P. Point. Expect the cooler temperatures next week to help move more fish into some locations.

Some fish are still being caught from the Springs to Miners Point on the east side of the south basin but they are very scattered right now. Fish are being caught at different depths now, some higher in the water column (12') and some lower (30+ ft).

Between Wildcat Point and Shrimp Island (Lake of the Woods): the rocky ledges on the west side has slowed down a bit for a lot of folks, but I have seen fish in shallower water along the west side. But, I didn't see the number of fish in the deeper water this week, as I have before. Many of these fish are on the move folks, I'm still catching them because I'm following them.

Trolling

NOTE: Trollers, please don't troll (zig-zag and maneuver) between all the bait fisherman anchored close together. There is plenty of good water to fish, you don't need to troll 20 feet from another boat. Anchored boats also have the right of way. Also, complaints from bank fishermen regarding trollers running over their lines have been coming in. Don't be an idiot, the new high tech lines will damage water seals and put grooves in motor shafts.

Some trollers are doing better than others but some limits are still being caught. We are starting to catch fish at many different depths this week. We are still catching a few fish between 25 and 35 feet but we are also starting to get more attention above that level. We are working shallower water now that water temperatures have cooled down. Fish are spooky on the shallow ledges on the west side of south basin and once you have made a few passes over them, they move out and scatter, but those first few passes can produce limits 2 ?? to 3 ?? lbs. Orange and brown leech pattern trolling flies have been the best for us.

The trout we have been catching are feeding on leeches and shrimp which are typical for that area, minnows are still in deeper water but I have seen many schools around the Youth Camp and Bio. Station. Oh, we have plenty of minnows in the north and middle basins but the trout haven't quite committed to the warmer temperatures yet. But, they know by the angle of the sun that the time is near.

How trollers can avoid catching tui chub: Most trollers don't usually catch chubs because they generally don't "chase" fast moving objects, however if you are trolling too slow you can catch the heck out of them. The key is to bump up your trolling speed by 50 to 75 RPM's and avoid catching them. That's all it takes and stay in the zone of the trout. The more chubs your are catching the less time you are fishing for trout. Please release these special fish safely, they are of great importance to the ecology of the lake.

Hot Lures, Flies and Grubs

Lures: Large "Red Dog" Double Jointed Sure Catch lure is doing well and medium "Goldie locks" (florescent orange and brass) has been working well too. I also like the German Brown Medium Sure Catch this time of year. But good old Needlefish were in the top 3 producers. No doubt that florescent orange is a hot color on this lake and various lures of that color often work. Since using the sure catch lures, I am now partial to using them but Needlefish have also been extremely affective on this lake for decades. Florescent orange with nickel or brass back were productive in size 2. Rainbow Runners have also been known to work well up here. Often, what is hot in one area is not in another. The red dot frog and crocodile patterns in size 2 and 3 have also been productive lures. We have a lot of baby western toads in all the grassy areas of the shoreline right now and don't think the trout have never seen one swimming in the water. It is near the time when minnow imitations from rapala's to rubber wigglers will be real effective.

Trolling nightcrawlers is also a favorite and was indeed a very affective method for many anglers. But, if I am only catching trout on small brown flies I would suggest worm trollers use mini crawlers (on smaller #8 or #10 straight eye bait hooks) over large ones. Use of flashers can be more productive in late summer and fall. The clarity of the lake decreases as the water temperatures drop in fall. Flashers really help during that time and best where schools of tui chub minnows are the food of choice. (Flasher tip for Eagle Lake: shorten leaders up to 14 to 15 inches from the flashers. These fish often come from behind so quickly that they can miss your bait and hit your flashers. If you are getting lots of strikes without hooking up, your leader is too long.)

Grubs: Brown, orange, amber watermelon, white and root-beer have been catching quite a few fish this week. Some folks prefer to run wiggle or action discs ahead of the grub.

Trolling Flies: The plain Jane brown and florescent orange are catching fish but the brown leech (a very passive rather than aggressive fly) has gotten more attention on flat water. The tui-chub pattern works better in some areas (this time of year) than in others but it is starting to get attention. I prefer a smaller hook than what is commercially available this time of year...later in September and October size doesn't matter. The ones I tie have more white than olive on them. Olive leeches are starting to pick up a few fish here and there but in general olive works better down by Pikes Point and the jetty...brown has been the most affective for us at every location, however the orange is catching fish for us as long as there is a ripple but once the pond goes flat, the brown has been the best. The trout have been "short striking" meaning that the hook is not penetrating and many fish are getting off before getting them to the boat. Tear the butts off the flies folks...the fish will have to strike higher on the hook....old fly trolling trick that makes them stick!!!

My best advise for trolling flies is to keep your rod in your hand and set the hook at the slightest difference in your line. If you miss the fish, slap the slack back into the water, if the fish didn't quite feel the hook it will still be following the fly and it will take it again when it stops dead in the water. Dangle it in front of the fish as if you were playing with a cat and a piece of yarn, if the fish wasn't right there once your line straightened out, give it a few seconds longer. Yeah, that's a real tease, but is also very affective. The fish take flies differently than they hit lures. They basically "hold" it in their mouth rather than attack it like a lure (especially the passive flies in brown or olive). You have to sink the barb of the hook in order to land the fish. And, I mean you have to set it hard, and hold your line so the drag doesn't defeat the purpose. Quite often I use the motor to assist keeping pressure on the fish if I run out of hook setting room (rod over 90 degrees), but, don't keep your boat in gear after the hook set. You will lose them every time. Some fish hit harder on the more aggressive flies (orange, gold & etc.) but you still have to set the hook.

Bait Fishing

Nightcrawlers under slip bobbers at 30 to 35 feet deep in 50 to 55 feet of water are still catching some trout but free lines have been working just as well and sometimes better than slip bobbers right now, however, every day has been a little different. So it's best to cover the bases from this time forward. Don't stay in one spot if you are not catching fish, move around and fish the column of water from 10 to 30 feet.

The tui chub have had a good spawn this year and the minnows are prevalent in all the basins. If we keep the cold nights and cooler water temperatures, the trout will start heading up towards the middle basin after the minnows and other food sources that have flourished over the short summer. Many will start staging at the Youth Camp and Biology Station where depths reach 30 feet (40 ft north of the Miners Point ledge). The trout usually stay close to deeper water before committing to the shallows but with the lower than average water temperatures we are seeing this year, may give us an early start.

The use of commercial attractants has been working well the last few years. Krill and Garlic Trout Gravy are the most effective. Don't under-estimate the garlic gravy, it works.

It is illegal to use minnows as bait on this lake, however many different imitations start working now. Nightcrawlers are the most effective bait used but some folks use insects too. NOTE: It is also illegal to keep live trout in a "live well" for any purpose including resuscitation.

Shore Fishing

If water temperatures continue to remain in the high 60's early in the morning, expect the shore fishing to start picking up. The shallower water is cooling off quicker overnight than the deep water. We are seeing fish foraging in the shallows and we have started catching them in 10 feet of water, but their timing has been a little different every day.

The biology station and the Youth Camp will start getting better but it can be touch and go for a few weeks before it really turns on there. This is the 4th week that we caught fish in 11 to 15 feet of water but a good hot spell will push them back out to deep water in a heartbeat, especially after sunrise. The jetty and the Circus Grounds will be picking up before too long too. I have started seeing a trout here and there swimming around at the docks in Spalding.

Fly Fishing

Osprey Management Area is closed to human access from land until September 15, 2007.

A few trout are rising to the caddis hatch but the hatch has come on later in the morning due in part to cooler temperatures lasting longer. This was the first week I caught fish in 11 to 15 feet of water early in the morning but the fish did eventually move back out to deeper water around 8:30 AM. The trout were very shy and spooky on the ledges this week. Brown was the color they wanted today and is the best color to start with on this lake. They are not yet reliable from day to day and water temperatures are still warm despite having good O2 levels. But, it won't be too long before early morning fly fishing will be very productive even though it might not last a long time. It is advisable to have a float tube or boat so you can reach those trout when they move out. Have a sink tip available.

My favorite flies are basic. #10 and #12 wooly buggers. I prefer brown along Pelican Point and the west side of the south basin. I like olive, gold, orange or black in the tules depending on the time of year. However, the orange is extremely effective when the water temperature drops below 48 degrees F. The shrimp turn orange when the water temperature drops below that temperature.