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ENLARGE
Denis Peirce
Sunday marked the official start of fall. The nights are now longer than the days and the next five weeks will feature some of the best fishing of the year.
This is the time for water temps to drop into and through the prime range for most species of fish. By mid November it will not be as good as it will be in October.
Plan to go soon.
At the higher elevations the water temps moved into the prime range this past weekend with the weather system that passed through. At Eagle Lake, outside of Susanville, the fishing last week was very poor.
A call on Friday to Bob Aguilar (Aguilar Fishing Adventures (530) 825-3581) ended with him saying "I don't like to say it, but it is not a good time to come up to fish Eagle Lake. Very few anglers are catching fish."
Then during the weekend the storm front moved through. Although it did not rain at Eagle Lake, the wind blew and there was a chill to the air. On Monday morning, the low air temp was 30 degrees and the water had dropped 4 degrees to 54. That was what the fish were waiting for and yesterday the bite was on.
Bob reports easy limits for most anglers on the lake and the fish were not selective to any particular lure or color. There was good fishing near the "barbwire hole" at the far north end of the lake. This indicates that the fish have moved throughout the north end of the lake.
Eagle Lake fishes well all the way to the end of the year but the more angler friendly temps will be in October.
Ralph Wood (C&R Guide Service 477-0780) reports that the North Yuba has been fishing well. Last week the water was in the mid 50s and the fish were willing throughout the day. Many different nymph patterns in the 16 to 18 sizes worked. Currently there has been no evidence of an October Caddis hatch. Ralph noted that the were some Isonychia mayflies on the river.
Mike Pumphries, a local angler, fished Scotts Flat on Sunday, Sept. 16. He waited until late afternoon when the water skiers were heading home. He did well catching largemouth bass along the south shore rocky areas using rip baits. Most of his fish were taken from shallow water as the light dimmed in the evening. His report dates from well before the weather change, but it is indicative of a good prospect for the bass angler.
On the Lower Yuba there has been an uptick in the fishing success. Frank Rinella (Sierra Guide Service, 878-8708) has picked up some plump trout/steelhead in the 15- to 19-inch range, fishing from the Highway 20 bridge down river. This is a major improvement that is anecdotal evidence of steelhead moving up into the river. There are salmon in the river but they have yet to begin spawning in earnest.
Frank has been catching all of his fish on nymph patterns. Egg imitations will do better once the spawn begins in earnest.
On the Feather River, the salmon spawn has begun in the low flow section of the river. It is nowhere near the peak but it does signal that the "egg bite" is getting started. My sources report few bright salmon in the upper river. The Feather River from the Live Oak area through Oroville will be closing to salmon fishing on the last day of September. See the DF&G regulations for exact closure specifics.
On the Klamath River, the sand bar at the mouth has been opening and closing with the tides and heavy surf. There is a large school of salmon visible just off shore. Small numbers of fish make it across the bar on favorable tides. Once the bar gets opened there will be a big surge of fish moving up river. The water temps at the mouth are now in the mid 60s and falling.
Up on the middle Klamath near Orleans, there is an algae bloom that has precluded fishing. A flushing flow and/or colder water will be required for things to improve there. Most of the fish moving up the system are turning right at Weichpec and going up the Trinity River. The Trinity now has fishable numbers of steelhead from the mouth all the way up to Lewiston with the promise of more on the way.
ooo
Denis Peirce writes a weekly fishing column for The Union and is host of "The KNCO Fishing & Outdoor Report," which airs 6-7 p.m. Fridays and 5-6 a.m. Saturdays on 830-AM radio. He may be reached via e-mail at denisp@theunion.com.
This is the time for water temps to drop into and through the prime range for most species of fish. By mid November it will not be as good as it will be in October.
Plan to go soon.
At the higher elevations the water temps moved into the prime range this past weekend with the weather system that passed through. At Eagle Lake, outside of Susanville, the fishing last week was very poor.
A call on Friday to Bob Aguilar (Aguilar Fishing Adventures (530) 825-3581) ended with him saying "I don't like to say it, but it is not a good time to come up to fish Eagle Lake. Very few anglers are catching fish."
Then during the weekend the storm front moved through. Although it did not rain at Eagle Lake, the wind blew and there was a chill to the air. On Monday morning, the low air temp was 30 degrees and the water had dropped 4 degrees to 54. That was what the fish were waiting for and yesterday the bite was on.
Bob reports easy limits for most anglers on the lake and the fish were not selective to any particular lure or color. There was good fishing near the "barbwire hole" at the far north end of the lake. This indicates that the fish have moved throughout the north end of the lake.
Eagle Lake fishes well all the way to the end of the year but the more angler friendly temps will be in October.
Ralph Wood (C&R Guide Service 477-0780) reports that the North Yuba has been fishing well. Last week the water was in the mid 50s and the fish were willing throughout the day. Many different nymph patterns in the 16 to 18 sizes worked. Currently there has been no evidence of an October Caddis hatch. Ralph noted that the were some Isonychia mayflies on the river.
Mike Pumphries, a local angler, fished Scotts Flat on Sunday, Sept. 16. He waited until late afternoon when the water skiers were heading home. He did well catching largemouth bass along the south shore rocky areas using rip baits. Most of his fish were taken from shallow water as the light dimmed in the evening. His report dates from well before the weather change, but it is indicative of a good prospect for the bass angler.
On the Lower Yuba there has been an uptick in the fishing success. Frank Rinella (Sierra Guide Service, 878-8708) has picked up some plump trout/steelhead in the 15- to 19-inch range, fishing from the Highway 20 bridge down river. This is a major improvement that is anecdotal evidence of steelhead moving up into the river. There are salmon in the river but they have yet to begin spawning in earnest.
Frank has been catching all of his fish on nymph patterns. Egg imitations will do better once the spawn begins in earnest.
On the Feather River, the salmon spawn has begun in the low flow section of the river. It is nowhere near the peak but it does signal that the "egg bite" is getting started. My sources report few bright salmon in the upper river. The Feather River from the Live Oak area through Oroville will be closing to salmon fishing on the last day of September. See the DF&G regulations for exact closure specifics.
On the Klamath River, the sand bar at the mouth has been opening and closing with the tides and heavy surf. There is a large school of salmon visible just off shore. Small numbers of fish make it across the bar on favorable tides. Once the bar gets opened there will be a big surge of fish moving up river. The water temps at the mouth are now in the mid 60s and falling.
Up on the middle Klamath near Orleans, there is an algae bloom that has precluded fishing. A flushing flow and/or colder water will be required for things to improve there. Most of the fish moving up the system are turning right at Weichpec and going up the Trinity River. The Trinity now has fishable numbers of steelhead from the mouth all the way up to Lewiston with the promise of more on the way.
ooo
Denis Peirce writes a weekly fishing column for The Union and is host of "The KNCO Fishing & Outdoor Report," which airs 6-7 p.m. Fridays and 5-6 a.m. Saturdays on 830-AM radio. He may be reached via e-mail at denisp@theunion.com.
