Great trout action at Lake Almanor

With it being this late in summer it is hard to imagine the fishing getting any better here at Lake Almanor. Anglers all over the lake are reporting great trout action and noticeably light traffic. The lake level has been dropping in typical late summer “draw-down” fashion and it currently sits at 4487.5 or about 6.5 feet below full pool, a reduction of about 2 feet over the course of August. Water temperature is now running in the high 60’s to low 70’s. The trout are scattered throughout the lake, with most of them choosing to focus on the lake’s pond smelt as their primary food source. The entire east shore of the lake seems to be producing right now, along with the east and west side of the peninsula. One of the hottest bites has been the Hamilton Branch Big Springs area. Trolling, jigging, bait fishing and fly fishing are all producing great results. Fly anglers are on the fish running dark colored nymphs and balance leaches under indicators close to the bottom in 15 to 30 feet of water for a nice mix of quality Bows and Browns and an occasional smallmouth. Casting pond smelt imitating flies on sinking lines to eagerly feeding fish has also been bending fly rods. Trollers are focusing their attention from 25 to 40 feet with a variety of offerings and techniques to tempt fish. Slow trolled (1.5 mph or less) worms, plastics and trolling flies are all solid choices.  Dodgers can be added to all of the above to provide more flash and action. Faster trolled offerings like spoons in red and gold along with bait fish patterns are also connecting with fish in the same range. The catch continues to be mixed bag of Bows and Browns in all size classes along with an occasional salmon. Bait anglers are also seeing success during the mornings at various stops along the east shore, with reports indicating good numbers. Crawlers are the preferred offerings fished close to the bottom. For shore bound anglers probably the best option is Hamilton Branch. The branch is flowing, bringing fresh water into the lake and is very fishable. Remember when fishing Hamilton or any other location, pack out what you pack in. The Canyon Dam boat ramp is open and useable, the west shore USFS ramp has the dock in and is open