Don Q's Nevada and Northern California fishing report through Feb. 3

Here is the latest fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada and Northern California. This report is for the week of Jan. 28 through Feb. 3, 2015.

ADOBE POND:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

ANGEL LAKE, ELKO COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
The road is closed to the lake and there will be no fishing reports for Angel Lake until late May of 2015.

BISHOP CREEK, AREA, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

BRIDGEPORT, RESERVOIR, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

CAPLES LAKE, CALIF:
John Voss of the Caples Lake Resort (209-258-8888) (www.capleslakeresort,com) reports:
Sunny weather is creating Fun at Caples Lake!
The ice is approximately 8” thick and Ice skating and Fishing have been great!!
Come and have an awesome day on the ice here at Caples Lake Resort.!

CARSON RIVERS, CALIF:
Carson River East (Upstream from Hangman's Bridge):
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.
Carson River West:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

CHETCO RIVER, ORE:
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (800-720-ODWF) (www.dfw.state.or.us.com) reports:
Good flows all week should make for some excellent steelhead fishing.
As flows drop below 4000 CFS, drift boaters can start to pick up fish side drifting eggs or egg imitations.

CONVICT LAKE AND CONVICT CREEK, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

CROWLEY LAKE, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

DAVIS LAKE, CALIF:
A report of mostly open water and a few shore fishermen as of last Saturday.
The remaining ice on some parts of the lake is too thin and dangerous to be out on.

EAGLE LAKE, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open the Saturday of Memorial weekend.

EAGLE VALLEY RESERVOIR, LINCOLN COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
The ice measures about four to six inches thick inches thick near the center of the reservoir but remains thin along the edges. Ice fishermen are pulling rainbow trout through holes drilled along the fishing dock. The fish are in the 11- to 13-inch range and taking night crawlers or Power Bait.

ECHO CANYON RESERVOIR, LINCOLN COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Approximately 1/3 of the reservoir is open water and accessible from the shoreline. The remainder is covered with thin ice and is unsafe for fishing.

FALL RIVER, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

FORT CHURCHILL COOLING PONDS, LYON COUNTY, NEV:
Closed. Will re-open the second Saturday in February.

HAT CREEK, UPPER, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

HOBART RESERVOIR, WASHOE COUNTY, NEV:
Closed. Will re-open May 01, 2015.

HOOVER WILDERNESS AREA, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

HOT CREEK, CALIF:
Tom Loe of the Sierra Drifters Guide Service (760-935-4250) (www.sierradrifters.com) reports:
Hot Creek 1/25/15
Access is fine, no snow or ice in the canyon.
The aquatic weed situation has improved opening up more fishable water.
Flows remain low, and the fish are hunkering in the deeper pools and slots with limited riffle water holding any numbers.
Midges are the only consistent hatches coming off currently; however the BWO’s will be coming off soon. First generation adults are large and a huge part of the trout’s winter/spring diet.
High winged dark olive, or dun colored bodies #16/18 are good profiles. Keep them well dressed to ride high in the foam.
PT’s & bird’s nest patterns are best for nymphs.
Small parachute midge or mayfly patterns used with a 10 foot leader are best for surface presentations when the fish are on the midges/or clusters.
There are a few sections that can be fished with a dry dropper nymph rig.
Small dead drifted Punk Perch, broken back zebras, small gillies, egg patterns, SJ worms, scuds, flashback PT’s, or assassin birds nest bead heads in #18 are good calls for the dropper.
This is a year around fishery with special regs in place.

JUNE LAKE LOOP, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.


KIRMAN LAKE, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

LAUGHTON, CLARK COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Colorado River:
The fishing report is minimal this week, with the most notable catch being a couple carp caught in the area of Sunshine Bay. There is a possibility of winds gusting 15 to 25 miles per hour through the weekend.

LUNDY LAKE, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

MAMMOTH LAKES, BASIN, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

MARLETT LAKE, WASHOE COUNTY, NEV:

Closed. Will re-open July 15, 2015.

MASON VALLEY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA, NEV:
Closed. Will re-open the second Saturday in February.

LAKE MEAD, CLARK COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Anglers are reporting good shad activity in the Vegas Wash area.
Live shad continue to be the most productive bait, though some anglers have caught fish with jigging spoons.
Stripers have been found in coves and along steep canyon walls in 50 to 80 feet of water. Also look for them along drop offs.
Action for largemouth and smallmouth bass is slowly picking up with the unseasonably warm temperatures.
Lake Mead’s water temperature is hovering in the high 50s.
With the moon rising early in the morning, anglers are still able to take advantage of the darker nights by fishing under lights.

LAKE MOHAVE, CLARK COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
One lucky angler reportedly caught and released multiple stripers over 20 pounds while trolling with swimbaits north of Willow Beach Marina.
Coves north and south of Cottonwood Cove have been producing striped bass around the ten-pound mark.
Crankbaits and anchovies have both worked well.

OREGON PACIFIC OCEAN AND BEACHES, ORE:
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (800-720-ODWF) (www.dfw.state.or.us.com) reports:
The ocean is open for harvest of Dungeness crab.
A few anglers have been catching surf perch from the beaches near Bandon and Coos Bay. Sand shrimp is one of the best baits to use when fishing for surf perch.
Fishing for bottom fish, including rockfish and lingcod is open to all depths.
Marine daily bag limit is seven fish and a separate daily limit for lingcod (two).
Starting on January 15 anglers will only be able to keep 3 blue rockfish as part of their daily limit and there will be no harvest of China, quillback, or copper rockfish. Sometime in March, once a parallel federal rule is adopted, ODFW will announce that anglers can retain one canary rockfish as part of the marine fish daily bag limit.
Retention of cabezon is not allowed Jan. 1 – June 30.

OWENS RIVER, CALIF:
Tom Loe of the Sierra Drifters Guide Service (760-935-4250) (www.sierradrifters.com) reports:
Upper Owens River 1/25/15
 Please be EXTREMELY careful when handling, or photographing fish at temperatures below twenty degrees. Fish removed from the water for more than a minute can literally “flash freeze” and die. Resuscitating BEFORE, & AFTER your fight is essential for a safe C & R on these wonderful fish. Do not remove them from the water immediately after you net them please. Keep their gills out of the silt and completely submerged while removing the hooks and reviving them.
Increased numbers of “Crowley Steelhead” have moved up recently.
Water temps have warmed into the forties, the smaller resident fish are sipping midge clusters in the late afternoon.  
Flows stable at 45CFS. This a a very low release for this time of year.
Historically the LADWP drains Grant Lake in the winter, then uses the water to fill Crowley through the Rush Creek Diversion.  
No ice, or snow around the river.
Turbidity has improved below the merging of Hot Creek & the irrigation canals.
Angling pressure remains moderate/heavy.
We have been having good success using Assassin’s, broken back tiger midges, SJ worms, crystal Vanderleeches, roe patterns. You will also want to have some smaller para-midge, or BWO adults for the afternoon midge hatch.  The resident fish are responding to this on the warmer days.
Drifters guides use the “Four P’s” to consistently get on fish here. Position- Presentation-Patience-Performance. Book a trip with us and we will teach you how to get these amazing fish.
Special angling regs in effect. 
Open year around upstream from the Benton Crossing Bridge.
Closed from the Bridge downstream to Crowley Lake until next season.
Middle Owens River (Bishop area) 1/25/15 
Flows are currently around 75 CFS below the dam at Pleasant Valley.
Fishing is fair/good from the Footbridge at PV Campground downstream to the Five Bridges Crossing. Access to this area while wading has never been easier.
The cold water mayfly called the “blue winged olive” is now emerging in numbers consistently. The first generations are large for mayflies, and a mainstay in the trouts late winter/spring diet.
#16/18 BWO patterns are good profiles. Nymphing with tandem rigs-properly weighted will get you into fish before the hatch.
I suggest you use Flashback PT’s, Assassin birds nest, broken back midges, tiger midges, small gillies, crystal emergers, or chironomid pupa, olive crystal zebras, & caddis larvae (to imitate caddis larva & rock worms) below an Under-cator. You can use dry/dropper bead head rigs for the warmer days working the tailouts of larger pools, & riffles. Have some high vis para BWO’s for the uppers & keep them dressed with desiccant  to suspend your bead head nymphs.
Guided drift boat trips are a great vehicle to reach the secluded, and less fished areas of the river. We have been logging excellent numbers of planted & holdover rainbows recently.
We predominantly fish streamers like Loebergs, Spruce-A-Bu’s, Punk Perch, Agent Orange, and Crystal Vanderleeches.
Using a light sinking tip line we position the boat upstream from the target water, casting about 35 feet down towards larger pools. We then insert the rod tips below the surface to get the streamers down without using excessive weight. Stripping the line in an erratic series of short and long pulls imitates the swimming motion of injured baitfish. The “dip & strip” technique is a fun way to get into numbers and large rainbows that hold in the lower sections of the river well below the wild trout section. Check out my “be the fly” video by clicking on the videos link at the top of the page to see how we do it.
This fishery remains open year around.
Special regs from the footbridge at Pleasant Valley campground to the fishing monument 4.7 miles downstream.

PAHRANAGAT WILDLIFE REFUGE, LINCOLN COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Anglers are finding some success at the upper marsh for panfish and catfish.
Mealworms or night crawlers below a bobber will catch fish.

PINE FOREST COMPLEX, HUMBOLDT COUNTY, NEV:
Onion Valley Reservoir: 
Closed. Will re-open second Saturday in June, 2015.
Blue Lakes: 
Closed. Will re-open second Saturday in June, 2015.
Knott Creek Reservoir: 
Closed. Will re-open second Saturday in June, 2015.

PIT RIVER, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

PLEASANT VALLEY RESERVOIR, CALIF:
Tom Loe of the Sierra Drifters Guide Service (760-935-4250) (www.sierradrifters.com) reports:
Pleasant Valley Reservoir 1/25/15
Heavily planted recently and fishing great.
The level has come up to 4388′. At this level it may be better to use a strike indicator, or Under-cator to fish the transition section due to increased depth.
The small river section has been excellent for numbers of smaller rainbows.
Forget fishing the river, or inlet if the hydro station is ramped up (this is uncommon during the winter, but can occur to flush ice from the huge aqueduct pipeline at times).  
Dry dropper combos using Stimulators, hi-vis para BWO’s or hi-vis caddis, may be used as the upper fly-use crystal olive caddis larva, flashback PT’s, Assassins, broken back or crystal tiger & zebra midges as your dropper bead head nymph. “Freeze tubing” has been very good recently.
Streamers like Loebergs, Agent Orange, Crystal leeches, & Spruce-A-Bu’s will get you into some nice browns, & larger bows in the rez proper.
Use a full sinking line to get down to 10-15 feet quickly.
You can also fish “Crowley midge style” in the rez near the drop-offs.
Fish chironomid patterns below an Under-cator. Gillies, broken back midges, crystal emergers & pupa patterns.
Tiger & zebra midges are always a solid choice for your larva pattern.
This fishery is open year around.
The Gorge 1/25/15
 No snow or ice, trails are fine. This maybe the best dry fly fishery we have during the winter months.
The Gorge could be classified as the true “tailwater” from Crowley Lake.
The fish here are all wild browns with a large one going 16 inches. Moderate/difficult hiking is required to access the more secluded sections. Rock hopping and bush whacking can be expected.
Dry/dropper bead head nymph combos work well in the deeper pools. Use PT’s, Assassin birds nest, broken back midges, tiger midges, & crystal olive larva patterns as the nymphs.
Hi-vis para BWO’s, Stimulators, parachute midge adults, & elk caddis are good choices for your dry fly.
Pack in water , have cleated wading boots and a stout staff.
2-4wt. rods are perfect for this water.
A compromise/ final settlement has been reached between the LADWP & CDFW for the re-watering and enhancement of the middle & lower sections of the Gorge. The Upper section will now be managed as a Tui-Chub” sanctuary for perpetuity- with no additional water, or trout enhancement allowed. The Middle & lower sections will begin to see immediate improvements in flows, fish access ladders, and management as a wild trout fishery. Final Draft of Owens Gorge Stipulation11 20 14[1]  Special thanks to Crowley local James Parker for keeping us informed on this complicated situation.
Season open year around.

SACRAMENTO RIVER (LOWER), CALIF:
Kirk and Lisa Portocarrero at outdooradventures@sacriverguide.com and www.sacriverguide.com (1-800-670-4448) report:
King Salmon closed. Will re-open July 16, 2015.

SACRAMENTO RIVER (LOWER), CALIF:
Kirk and Lisa Portocarrero at outdooradventures@sacriverguide.com and www.sacriverguide.com (1-800-670-4448) report:
Fly fishing:
As of January 26, water flow currently 3,250 CFS and steady, no changes.
Lower Sacramento River fly fishing report - Rainbow trout fishing in the Redding area to Anderson area is fair to good. 
Water is clearing up as the days pass and despite some cloudiness we are catching nice Rainbows daily. Warming up during mid-day seeing more action then. Most days 15 plus fish hook ups. Working best in these water conditions are egg patterns. Weather is beautiful.
Drift  boats or Jet boats available.
We cater to all levels of anglers.
Daily drifting Redding, California and Anderson, California.
Groups and Clubs welcome, we can accommodate ANY size group.

SAN JOAQUIN RIVER/RED’S MEADOW, CALIF:
Steve Osterman of Performance Guide Service (760-934-6101) (www.performanceanglers.com) reports:
Road closed.

SHASTA LAKE, CALIF:
Kirk and Lisa Portocarrero at outdooradventures@sacriverguide.com and www.sacriverguide.com (1-800-670-4448) report:
January 26,  2015  Shasta Lake guided fishing
Northern California fishing Lake Shasta. 
Offer daily guided fishing on Lake Shasta. 
For Shasta Lake fishing, we are currently catching limits of bass daily, Spotted bass and Small mouth bass.
We are catching bass along the banks and down 35 ft . Averaging 25 to 35 hook ups a day. Using spinner baits and crankbaits early morning, and using rubber worms the rest of the day, with mid-afternoons being the best as the day warms. 
The Sacramento Arm has been producing the most fish at the moment. 
We are also picking up some Rainbow Trout while throwing crankbaits. 
We will start trolling Shasta Lake for King Salmon and Trout, in the month of March. Last year around March 15, we were 2 to 6 pound King salmon, trolling 35 to 75 ft deep.
If you have any more questions or to book your Northern California guided Lake Shasta fishing trip, please call us at 1-800-670-4448. 

SMITH RIVER, OREGON:
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (800-720-ODWF) (www.dfw.state.or.us.com) reports:
Winter steelhead will start arriving in the Smith River basin. Most of the steelhead will be wild, therefore fishing will be primarily catch-and-release.

LAKE TAHOE:
A continuing report of limits of average sized Mackinaw Trout being caught on silver flasher blades and minnows, trolled at depths of 100-300 feet on the west side of the lake near Homewood, California.

TRINITY RIVER, CALIF:
Kirk and Lisa Portocarrero at outdooradventures@sacriverguide.com and www.sacriverguide.com (1-800-670-4448) report:
January 26, 2015 Fishing report
Currently, Trinity River flows are as follows:  Currently 300 CFS. 
We are fishing the Trinity River for Winter Steelhead fishing and fishing has been awesome - RED HOT! 
Steelhead have been ranging from 4 to 10 pounds, number of hook ups are 4 to 8 fish  days, varying. Getting into some nice steelhead now.
Fly or Spin fishing are both productive.
We are fishing from Lewiston Bridge to JC Campgrounds. 
We have gotten a lot of the needed rain and this has been great for the steelhead fishing, as it has brought up many new fish.
Call Kirk or Justin at 1800-670-4448 for more details.
Trinity River fishing is conveniently located 40 minutes West of Redding, CA  fishing from the town of Weaverville, California.

TWIN LAKES, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

VIRGINIA LAKES, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

VIRGINIA LAKES, CALIF:
John and Carolyn Webb of the Virginia Lakes Resort (760-647-6484) (vir@qnet.com) report:
Have a great winter, and let's pray for a lot of snow for water to refill all the reservoirs, lakes and streams with plenty for the ski resorts.
May you all have a Happy, Healthy 2015, see you on the water in late April!
Carolyn

WALKER LAKE, MINERAL COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
No new updates. No Lahontan cutthroat have been reported or seen at Walker Lakes since 2009.
Launching is not possible right now.

WALKER RIVER, EAST, CALIF:
Tom Loe of the Sierra Drifters Guide Service (760-935-4250) (www.sierradrifters.com) reports:
East Walker River 1/25/15
Flows currently at 20 CFS. Limited fishable water.
Diploid browns will be planted here again-great news!
This fishery is open year around with special regs in place.

WALKER RIVER, LITTLE, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIF:
Closed. Will re-open April 25, 2015.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. He can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com.