Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 605,445 acre-feet of water. The lake level came up a foot this last week and a total of over eight feet since February 1st. It is currently at 879 ft. above sea level and 200 ft. from full. The water clarity is fairly clear in most of the lake with a few areas having some stained water. The water temperature is stable and has warmed slightly with the average being 54-60 degrees. Tuttletown launch is closed. Glory Hole Point boat launch is open with a two lane concrete ramp and a dock. 4wd is no longer needed to launch.

Trout: Good. Trout fishing continues to be productive with many anglers catching limits of trout. The trout are still in shallow water and cruising near the surface. We expect the trout bite to be good for a few more weeks while the water temperature is still fairly cool. If we do get a little rainfall, it could trigger a good bite in areas with fresh flowing water.

Trolling anglers have made adjustments and switched to bright colored baits to be trolled in stained water. We have had many reports of anglers having success on fire tiger, gold and copper, which are all good choices for dingy water. If you can find clear water you might have better luck switching back to more realistic shad patterns. We have had reports of trout being caught all over the lake. Some fish are on main lake banks and others are in creek channels. Trolling at a faster speed from 2-3mph seems to be working best. Bank anglers are finding success in many different areas of the lake. Glory Hole Point, Glory Hole Cove and the 49-Bridge are all good places to try your luck. By far the bait of choice has been garlic scented Power Bait. Try fishing it on a sliding sinker with a light wire hook. Also, another good way to catch them is by using an inflated crawler or a crawler/mallow combo. Floating your bait is very important, set your presentation in the water and check to see if it is floating before making a cast.

Kokanee: Soon. A few local guides have found some kokanee and expect them to start biting in the next few weeks.

Bass: Good. The bite was really good on the days that we had some sun, and got a bit tougher on the couple over cast days. Most anglers are catching a bunch of fish on each outing. Some fish are still on a winter-like pattern, holding in deep water and feeding on shad and bottom dwelling creatures. Other fish are moving up toward shallow water and showing interest in quicker moving baits. For the fish that are holding in deep water, try using a ?? oz football head jig. Green pumpkin, brown and purple are all good color choices. California Reservoir Lures makes a variety of jigs with these colors and they are all proven fish catchers. Try adding a Sweet Beaver or Brush Hog to make the bait bulkier. To catch the fish that are starting toward the shallows, try using a soft plastic presentation. Shakey heads, dart heads, Texas rigs and Carolina rigs will produce a number of bites. On Saturday February 21, we had our Glory Hole Sports Big Bass Bash, which was a two fish, big fish format. 21-boats showed up and first place went to Jace Degough and Eli Frey. They weighed in 13.89-pounds and the biggest largemouth of the tournament that weighed 9.23-pounds. The biggest spot was 6.65-pounds and was caught by Kyle Rasmussen and Jody Menzes.

Catfish: Fair. We have had reports of quite a few anglers hooking into some quality catfish. The catfish generally move to deep water near rock piles and ledges, but many have been caught roaming in shallow flats. Try fishing near large rocks and boulders. Try using frozen shad or crawler to get bites. Be sure to use plenty of scent on your bait.

Crappie: Early spring is a great time to get into some big crappie. With the lake being lower than normal there are a bunch of trees that the crappie will hold in. The best way to catch the crappie is with a live minnow fished under a slip-float. Another good trick is to put the minnow on a mini jig. The color of the jig will help attract fish and the action of the minnow will make them bite.