Well, we did see our first snow last week of a couple inches that melted the next day (adding only 2 tenths of an inch of moisture). High temps have been in the high 50's to 60 but our lows have been in the 20's now for a couple weeks.

We are expecting a cold front to come in Tuesday night....blown in by southwest winds that could gust up to 75 mph.... Wind are expected to blow early Tuesday afternoon and a weather alert has been issued for lakes. So button down the hatches!!! Tuesday night we have an 80% chance (that's pretty good) of getting rain showers....30% chance on Wednesday. Then partly cloudy skies until Friday when it appears we have another storm front on its way. The barometer has already begun to drop and the southwest wind is still blowing a bit....but normally the winds are quiet this time of the evening.

Expect fog on the pond. We have seen some heavy fog form up over the water. The south basin has been worse but all the basins can be affected. Today it moved quickly from the south to Pelican Point and the Youth Camp and socked us in for about an hour.

Water Temperature

South basin: Currently 53-55 from 57 F last weekend, pH 9.39

North basin: 49 to 50 from 51 F pH 9.55;

Middle basin: 49 to 50 from 52 in early AM and to around 53 F PM pH of 9.44.

Lake Conditions

We are starting to see more weeds on the surface but the shifting winds keep pushing them into different areas. The north side of Pelican Point is fairly weedy on the surface in many areas but there has been some clear channels. The north basin also has some nasty weedy areas.

One thing that we have now is that we are seeing a lot more color in the water from the microscopic algae's dying off from cooling water temperatures. This will remain with us for a while. But the shallower north and middle basins are actually a little clearer than the south basin.

Buoys are on the lake. But, this being a natural lake not all the hazards are marked. Lassen County Sheriff Department will probably start removing buoys soon. It's a good idea to GPS the rock piles. I'm working on a few way points to post so folks can plug in the coordinates for caution. One of the buoys marking the long rocky point on the south side of Pelican is missing a buoy (it's sitting in the rocks about a hundred yards east of the Broccoli tree.

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.

South Basin: There was several bands of algae that is mixed up in the foam north of Eagles Nest and in Miners Bay. Expect the high winds to really stir things up on Tuesday.

Fishing Locations and Depths

The fishing has been steadily picking up this week but expect the high winds and low barometer to slow things up on Tuesday.

We are also seeing increase numbers of trout on the north side of Pelican Point. But they are there and hard to catch. One day I find them off the buoys on the north side to the tip of P Point and the next day they can be out in the middle of Delta Bay out towards Rocky Point. It's just a catch 22 right now for the average angler but 10 to 13 feet of water has been the ticket.

The tules off the airstrip in Spalding has had its good and bad days. Expect the colder water temperatures to move those trout out into 10 to 15 feet of water.

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. Some people are in the right place at the right time....and that can be just about anywhere and anytime.

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. I didn't see the number of fish in the deeper water this week, however I have seen a few small "pods" here and there.

Trolling

NOTE TO TROLLERS: SOME COMPLAINTS FROM SHORE FISHERMEN AND ANCHORED BAIT FISHERMEN REGARDING TROLLING OVER THEIR LINES. PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE.

Some trollers are doing better than others but some limits are still being caught. We still have quite a bit of color in the water. Generally, chartreuse starts working when the water is in this condition so don't be afraid to tie one on. Fish are spooky in the shallows and on the shallow rock ledges. Let out at least 100 to 125 feet of line out behind the boat.

Trolling nightcrawlers has probably been the most effective method of catching fish this last week. But some lures have done okay too. The lures have varied but one thing they have had in common is having some chartreuse color on them.

Orange and brown leech pattern trolling flies have been the best for us north of Pelican Point this week and out fished a nightcrawler 3 to 1 today.

Note: the minnows that were along the docks in Spalding have moved out to deeper water.

How trollers can avoid catching tui chub: Most trollers don't usually catch chubs because the chubs 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. Tui chubs also show up as a massive school of fish stacked up on your depth finder. If you observe the adult chub when they come into the north and middle basins to spawn, you will see that the entire school moves in unison (note the minnows at the docks). Seldom do they separate. Trout show up as more singles farther apart.

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. Needlefish and 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. It is near the time when minnow imitations from rapala's to rubber wigglers will be real effective (time to try ???em now).

Trolling plain 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 and don't leave a long tail. 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, Black, orange, amber watermelon, white and root-beer have been catching 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.

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. You can run discs a few inches above the fly but it's not a replacement for holding your rod. Every fish hits a little different...some hammer you, others tease you, some just slap you around others slurp and spit. Knowing when to set the hook has a lot to do with "sticking" the fish.

Bait Fishing

Depending on location fish 2 to 3 feet deep in 4 to 5 feet of water, 8 to 11 feet deep in 10 to 12 feet of water and 12 feet deep in 20 to 28 feet of water has been our depths and have been successful.

The tui chub have had a good spawn this year and the minnows are prevalent in all the basins. More and more trout are moving into the tules along the airstrip near Spalding. Trollers are having a tough time catching fish but the bait fishermen are doing much better. Even though they are having to move around a little. Having water temperatures in the low to mid 50's north of Pelican Point many trout have committed to the shallows. How long they will stay is a different story that only the fish can tell at this point

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

Water temperatures just dropped to the low to mid 50's in the middle and north basins and to 62 in the south basin. Shore fishing should be picking up! Our low temperatures are really helping keep temperatures down along the shallow shoreline.

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. The jetty and the Circus Grounds will be picking up before too long too but fishing has been very tough from shore for the last couple weeks but the water temperature has dropped into favorable temps for the trout. There is a lot of color in the water right now so if your plain worm doesn't cut the mustard, don't be afraid to add some powerbait or garlic gravy to it.

Fly Fishing?ĮOsprey Management Area is open for foot traffic only. No vehicles are allowed below the road. Watch out for mountain lions in this area.

It has been tough for fly fishermen along the rock piles because the fishes timing has not been real consistent. However, we have sucked up some nice fish to 4 pounds off the 5 to 6 foot deep ledges but not at any particular time of day. Brown was the color they wanted today and is the best color to start with on this lake. Water temperatures should remain fairly stable now. 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.