There's so many spots around Lake Almanor that are" turning on" these days.

I have been all over the entire lake the past week, fishing and scouting for the next hot bite. The west shore continues to be the hot spot.

Insect hatches start, peak, and then decline. Fish move for the food. Most of the fish we have checked are feeding on bug larva, very few have had any smelt in them. My boat the "Almanor King" has 138 fish this month and there’s still another week to go.

Heres the latest.

Surface temps at 53.4 degrees.

Water Clarity,very good about 9 ft.

Launching at the Canyon Dam Public ramp offers good trolling along the east shore, and you can start trolling right from the ramp.This is a good producing area, and most boats hug the shore. I hooked more fish running about 100 yards from shore and rigged down from six feet early and down to 14 feet later in the morning. Threaded crawlers are always a good bait to troll through area. There are fish in the 2 pound range, mostly browns, followed by rainbows and an occasional king salmon. The kings are looking very good for this early in the season, and running a little bigger. They have been up to 4.3 pounds but most have been 2.5 to 3 pounds.

Also, at Canyon Dam is Geritol Cove, a good place to float some Power bait off the bottom, fly fish, or soak a crawler from your boat, kayak, float  tube, or lawn chair.

The other public launch is the USFS ramp on the west shore, providing instant access to the Almanor West area, which I have been at for the last  few days.

Some great fishing is happening from the USFS ramp to Almanor West Point, out to Airport flats,or along the shore line.

Most boats have been staying close to the shore, no more than 300 yds. out.

We have been about 800+ yards off shore and been pounding them. Mostly fat, fistey rainbows running from 1.75 pounds to 2.5 pounds.  Browns too, all these fish are full of "POP".

What's good about Almanor West and the surrounding area is there's plenty of open water providing lots of room to maneuver, and I expect fishing pressure in this area to be heavy this weekend. Also there appears to be lots of fish scattered all over these flats. The best bite is early, real early, like fishing at 5:30 am. at least.

Needlefish, in Cop Car, Silver Prism, and Pearl, also Red and Gold spoons, like Seps Pro Secrets, and Shiners, Flourescent orange and pink Pro Secrets and Rainbow Runners, rigged down to 6 and 8 feet. The couple of times we did run 4 rods, we had the deeper ones set at 14 and 16 ft. down, and all got hits, but the 6 and 8ft. settings got the most action. Recommended scents are, Pro-Cure "Trophy Trout" and "Carp Spit", mixed together in 50/50 portions.

Recommended Releases and Stacker clips are the "Seps Sure Releases"

Ayoobs Ace Hardware in Chester on Main St.. has all this stuff.. Tell em Doug sent ya.

If you’re after salmon, Big Springs should be up and running, always is this time of year.

Anchovy tails with Pro-Cure Herring Super Gel, 4 feet off the bottom. Also the deep hole on the east shore close to the dam called the Snag is another known salmon hang out.

The Hamilton Branch has cleared up. Rock and stump jumpers wearing clod hoppers are working the edges with powerbaits off the bottom, or nightcrawlers and meal worms under a bobber. Panther Martins, and Kastmasters are good lures to use above the powerhouse.

The east side of the peninsula from the Rec. Area #1 ramp to the A-frame has bug hatches beginning, and lots small groups of smelt moving about.. this is the next hot spot, and fish are here right now. So when Almanor West waters get too much pressure you might want to troll these lanes.. I guarantee it.

Also, Trolling the mouth of the Hamilton Branch to Big Springs is going to be happening as the waters continue to warm.  Doug Neal (530) 258-6732 http://www.almanorfishingadventures.com