Don Q's Nevada and Northern California fishing report for April 29 to May 5

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada and Northern California. This report is for the week of April 29 and beyond.

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:
Rick and Patti Apted - Lake Sabrina Boat Landing (760-873-7425) (www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com) reports:
Lake Sabrina Boat Landing: Just like kids on Christmas, anglers were up early on Fishmas pulling into the lot about 4:30am. And like on many Christmases, it was a white one. Temps were at 24° with the wind chill down in the teens and a pretty strong breeze with snow flurries, it felt like a typical Opener less an iced-over Lake and not a lot of snow showing on the peaks.
Department of Fish and Wildlife stocked the Lake on Tuesday with a very nice load of decent size fish – many of those fish left the Lake over the weekend.
Fishing at the Lake was GREAT! Those anglers we talked with said – anything you threw at them they gobbled up! Nightcrawlers, Power Bait, Lures – didn’t matter. Shore fishing, trolling, still fishing or drifting – didn’t matter. Lots of ¾ to 1 pound fish came out. Chip and Tom Hughes from Orange County had their 7-1/4 pound limits in just a couple hours on Red and Gold Thomas Buoyants.
Also, getting limits in the wild weather was Kevin, Cameron and Kyle from Castaic on Gold Kastmasters.
Gary Temple of Fillmore a 2-1/2 pound Rainbow using a Nightcrawler.
Mike Van Kirk landed a nice 2 pounder using a fake worm and egg combo.
Mike Forrester of Fallbrook caught a 2-pound using a Root Beer colored jig.
And then there’s the ‘Unknown’ fisherman who let us take a picture of his 2-3/4 pounder which he caught on a Nightcrawler – the reason for the unknown – neither his wife nor his boss knew where he was.

BOCA RESERVOIR, CALIF:
Mountain Hardware and Sports of Truckee (530-587-4844) (mountainhardwareandsports@gmail.com) reports: 
Dumping a lot of water from this lake recently with releases at 386 CFS  below the Dam. Lake was starting to fill but now has dropped to 18 percent full. Be careful about driving down to the shoreline as most areas are like quicksand! 
Best spots to fish here are around the dam in the morning tossing small minnow imitations, larger spoons and spinners for the browns that cruise here early and outside the inlet for mostly hungry rainbows that are of age yet to spawn.  Nightcrawlers, Rapala's, Power bait, small Kastmasters, and jigs have been good for Rainbows and Browns. 

BRIDGEPORT RESERVOIR, CALIF: 
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707) (www.kenssport.com) reports:
April 26, 2015
The Reservoir fished pretty well yesterday both from boats and shore, most anglers were not necessarily reporting limits but there were a lot of really nice fish up to 7 or 8 pounds being caught.
Most of the larger fish were rainbows but there were some nice browns in the 1 to 3 pound range as well.
Anglers fishing from shore had success with crawlers and power bait as well as casting lures like Rapalas and Kastmasters.
Trolling anglers did well with Thomas bouyants, Rapalas, blades and crawlers and Speedy Shiners.     

BUCKS LAKE, CALIF:
Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500) (www.shastacascade.com) reports:
The lake is full and the fishing and weather have very good.
They have been catching German Browns, Mackinaw, and Rainbow Trout in the middle of the lake. 
Courtesy of Western Outdoor News.

CROWLEY LAKE, CALIF:
Kent Rianda of The Trout Fly and Troutfitter (760-934-2517) (www.thetroutfitter.com) reports:
Water conditions:
Water levels are rising faster now. Present elevation is 6,763.7 ft. versus 6,781 at the spillway. Look for second Crowley Cam at the Fish Camp boat ramp soon with streaming video.
Fishing conditions:
The fish are spread out but decent in most areas with higher water temps.
The fish are also at all different depths, 25 feet of water suspended at 16 feet at Stormy Flats, everywhere from 15 to 25 feet stuck to the bottom in Hilton, 12 feet of water at Sandy. Use your fish finder or use the 5 minute rule after 10 am., no grabs, grab the anchor.

DAVIS LAKE, CALIF:
Mountain Hardware and Sports of Truckee (530-587-4844) (mountainhardwareandsports@gmail.com) reports:
Fishing from the bank has been tough recently but with the expected plant of DFW trout this week it should pick up.  A lot of the holdover fish have moved into deeper water and those with boats will have the best success. 
Needlefish, Wedding rings, Dick Nites, or similar trolled in about 15-25 feet of water has been best.

DONNER LAKE, CALIF:
Mountain Hardware and Sports of Truckee (530-587-4844) (mountainhardwareandsports@gmail.com) reports:
Lake is at 62 percent capacity.  With a plant of catchable size Rainbows this will inject some life back into this lake! 
Some boaters have been having success catching Macks around the China Cove area in about 100-110 feet of water with No. 3 silver needlefish and similar lures. Jigging has been taking some nice Macks when they've been holding deep.  
Kokanee is fishing is okay as trolling at 15-30 feet down is now the method with dodgers in Pink scale or variations of the same followed by Pink spinners, wedding rings, Scorpions, Hoochies, and Kokanuts. 
Kokes are a little small ranging in the 11 inch range. As the season progresses they may come up in size to maybe 13-14 inches if food is plentiful and competition for food low. 
For the shore fisherman this week you'll have to work a little bit harder to catch those planters as they are dispersing through the lake now.  We are stocked with everything to get you out there and catch those fish!  Some might be rewarded with a nice Mackinaw that might venture in to feed on these planters!  

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:
Fishing has been good this past week for both trout and bass.
Persistency is the key.
Tiger trout have been active and several good sized fish have been taken.
Afternoon winds have chased many of the anglers off the lake, making early morning and after sundown the prime times to hit the water.

ECHO CANYON RESERVOIR, LINCOLN COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Fishing continues to be really good for all species of fish in the lake. Fly fishermen have been doing really well for crappie using nymph patters and small Woolly Buggers, which will also take the occasional trout and bass.

FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF:
Mountain Hardware and Sports of Truckee (530-587-4844) (mountainhardwareandsports@gmail.com) reports:
Has been fishing very well!

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

HOT CREEK, CALIF:
Kent Rianda of The Trout Fly and Troutfitter (760-934-2517) (www.thetroutfitter.com) reports:
Water conditions:
Poor. Flows at 18 CFS as of 4/27.
Gate is open and the road is clear.
(Note flows include water from the springs, not just the gauging station at the highway so this is what is really flowing through the canyon)
Fishing conditions:
Excellent. It's been quite good here if you can find a spot to effectively fish.
Not to say it's crowded but there are only so many runs that you can fish.
Mostly baetis, with some caddis in the afternoons.
Still not seeing much in the way of rising fish.
Supposed to get warm next week again, so that will probably change.

JACKSON MEADOWS RESERVOIR, CALIF:
Mountain Hardware and Sports of Truckee (530-587-4844) (mountainhardwareandsports@gmail.com) reports: 
Lake is a couple of feet above the dam gates so my best guess would be around 80 percent full. Lots of water coming in from the surrounding creeks is a good sign along with the surrounding snow on the mountains. 
Fishing from boat has been best in 15-20 feet of water with Needlefish, Wedding rings or similar lures tipped with nightcrawlers have been the most effective.  Don't discount using Rapalas as some of the larger trout have gone for these.  
Some nice rainbows being caught around the Woodcamp boat launch but you're going to have to work for them.  Some days are good and some days are not.  Hey, it sure beats work!  Best areas here for the boaters has been Southwest corner of the lake and across the dam. 
For the shore fisherman holdover trout have been pretty eager to bite on nightcrawlers floated with a mallow or power bait, while those throwing hardware are using small Kastmasters or Roostertails.

KIRMAN LAKE, CALIF:
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707) (www.kenssport.com) reports:
April 26, 2015
We just got a few reports from Kirman yesterday, the weather was pretty nasty so the anglers we talked to only spent a short time fishing and when they were soaked and frozen they headed out.
Sounds like there were a few fish caught on streamers which is probably a good sign for the rest of the week now that the weather is good. I'd probably be fishing some seal buggers, simi seal leeches, matukas or mini leeches with an ap emerger or soft hackle dropper for starters up there right now.         

LAUGHTON, CLARK COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Colorado River:
From Davis Dam south through Big Bend State Park, the striper bite continues to improve. Anglers are reporting more catching than just fishing. Anchovies are the bait of choice and will also bring in catfish that are cruising the bottom.
Largemouth and smallmouth bass can be found in some of the backwaters and quieter areas, along with bluegill and redear sunfish. Night crawler pieces and small jigs will work well for these species, adjusting sizes for the target species.

MARLETTE LAKE, WASHOE COUNTY, NEV:

Closed. Will re-open July 15, 2015.

LAKE MEAD, CLARK COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Striped bass have been providing anglers with plenty of action for the past week. Various swimbaits from three to 12 inches in length are working. So too are live shad. Most fish being caught range from three to five pounds.
Stripers can be found in water ranging from 10 to 25 feet deep near coves where they are targeting shad.
For those seeking largemouth and smallmouth bass, areas near drop offs or backs of coves with brush cover are producing fish. Drop shots or crankbaits are catching the fish.

LAKE MOHAVE, CLARK COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
No matter the species targeted, anglers have had a successful week of fishing.
Most stripers from the main body of the lake are ranging from two to four pounds and hitting on anchovies at the mouth of coves. One lunker weighing 21.6 pounds was reeled in near mile marker 52. The fish hit a 12-inch red sided rainbow minnow.
During gill-netting surveys conducted by NDOW biologists, lots of catfish were reported in the coves north of Cottonwood Cove and anglers have confirmed these reports with catches of their own.
Largemouth and smallmouth bass have kept anglers busy as well.
Anglers pre-fishing for a tournament reported they had caught more than twice the number of smallies as largemouth bass. Jigs, spinnerbaits, Senkos, worms fished on drop shot rigs and shad imitations are catching the fish.


OWENS RIVER, CALIF:
Kent Rianda of The Trout Fly and Troutfitter (760-934-2517) (www.thetroutfitter.com) reports:
Upper Owens River:
Water conditions:
Poor. Flows at 119 CFS Above the Hot Creek Confluence. as of 4/24.
Water has cleared some, but is still pretty dirty.
Fishing conditions:
Poor. Section below the fishing monument opens this Saturday the 25th.
The section between the bridge and the monument remains closed.
Flows are back down a bit, but your best bet is to head up above the confluence. Fish aren't here in any great numbers yet, but if you don't mind walking and fishing the deeper holes there are definitely some fish in there. Stick to big and bright for the time being as the water is still not very clear.
Owens River Gorge:
Water conditions:
Good. Clear and cold.
Fishing conditions:
Good. DWP will be increasing flows in the gorge from here on out due to a recent court ruling. This is great news! Now all we need is some more water!

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.

PROSSER RESERVOIR, CALIF:
Mountain Hardware and Sports of Truckee (530-587-4844) (mountainhardwareandsports@gmail.com) reports: 
Lake has come up slightly to about 20% capacity. 
Recently, a decent Smallmouth bite around the dam and along the shoreline for those who prefer the Bronzebacks to Trout.  Some sporadic holdover trout here and with the upcoming stocking of fish this lake should start to fish well again. 
Use small flashy lures at first as the stocked fish will be more aggressive than hungry and then after a couple of days Power bait and other baits will start to take more fish.

PYRAMID LAKE, WASHOE COUNTY, NEV:
Mountain Hardware and Sports of Truckee (530-587-4844) (mountainhardwareandsports@gmail.com) reports: 
With some Thunderstorms coming in later in the day be careful not to be caught out on your boat out on this lake.  
Cutts are in the shallows and have been congregating in the South nets area of the lake.  Caution as this area can get pretty crowded this time of year.   
For those trolling we now carry Lyman's sz 4 and sz 3 flatties in popular Pyramid colors and Father Murphys Pyramid Vibrator Spoons.  These have been the go to lures at this lake this year. 
Early has been best for the boaters as the Cutties will be more accessible of the shelves at this time but when they move to the shallows the bite gets tougher. 
Be safe, be smart when you venture out here.

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.

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  April 27, 2015 water flow is currently 5,500 CFS.
Lower Sacramento River fly fishing report  
Starting April 27 th, the area of the Sacramento River from Keswick Dam to the Highway 44 Bridge will be closed until August 1 , 2015. 
Please do not be alarmed , as we will still be fishing daily.
This is a very small portion of the river system, and this will help ensure the preservation of our salmon and trout fishery. 
We will be fishing from the 44 bridge to Jellys Ferry Bridge daily. 
The fishing has been excellent. Water is clear, and weather perfect. With most days averaging over 30 fish days, fishing for rainbows has been fantastic. Rainbow trout fishing in the Redding area to Anderson area is GREAT!
We offer both spin fishing and fly fishing.
Working best are PT's, and  Micro Mayflies. 
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.

SACRAMENTO RIVER (LOWER), CALIF:
Kirk and Lisa Portocarrero at outdooradventures@sacriverguide.com and www.sacriverguide.com (1-800-670-4448) report:
Striped Bass:
April 27, 2015 
The Striped Bass fishing has started.  Let's go fishing.  
The Striped bass fishing  is up and down. The last few days getting very tough. Fishing is slow. It's an early morning bite. Still bring in a few nice ones, and  ranging in size 8 pounds to 12 lb average, a few larger. 
Call us today at 1800-670-4448.

SHASTA LAKE, CALIF:
Kirk and Lisa Portocarrero at outdooradventures@sacriverguide.com and www.sacriverguide.com (1-800-670-4448) report:
April 27, 2015  Shasta Lake guided fishing
Northern California fishing Lake Shasta. 
Offer daily guided fishing on Lake Shasta. For Shasta Lake fishing,  catching Rainbow Trout and King salmon, trolling Shasta Lake main body, fish ranging in size 2 to 4 pound King salmon, up to 75 ft deep.
Catching limits of bass daily, red hot. Spotted bass and Small mouth bass.
We are catching bass along the banks and down 35 feet. 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.  

STAMPEDE RESERVOIR, CALIF:
Mountain Hardware and Sports of Truckee (530-587-4844) (mountainhardwareandsports@gmail.com) reports: 
Lake is holding at 19 percent capacity. 
Fishing has picked up for Rainbows here, especially in the LT arm, and toplining for Kokanee has been great for those who can launch their boats. Like I mentioned, launching any boat other than a small aluminum one can be an adventure and 4-wheel drive is an absolute must.  Go to the right of boat launch and find the steep rocky shoreline, drop boat in and then turn boat and head in direction back to old boat launch as there is a sand bar developing just outside of new launch site. Reports of most Kokes ranging in the 14-15 inch range and one caught almost to 16 inches! Same as Donner as one will be toplining down to about 6-15 feet with anything in a combo of Pink. 
Shore fishing has been sporadic for the Bows with power bait, nightcrawlers, and various hardware. 
Smallies are suspended along shelves in the Davis Creek arm and most are being taken on suspending baitfish patterns, Crayfish patterns, and various Jigs worked down these shelves. 
Some big smallies here, but you'll have to work hard for them.

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.
 
TRUCKEE RIVER, CALIF & NEV:
Mountain Hardware and Sports of Truckee (530-587-4844) (mountainhardwareandsports@gmail.com) reports: 
California:
Very low flows above the Boca outflow. Flows have also dropped below Boca as they are releasing 111 cfs out of the Dam.  
This week's weather looks awesome and the fishing has been great!  
Best hours to fish will be 10 to 4. Water temps have come up and fish are more apt to sample your offerings now.  
Lots of BWO's, Midges, March Browns, Stones, and some Caddis activity. 
Flows are decent but the general outlook could be bleak as we progress into the late spring. Snowpack sits at 5% ( that's no misprint) now. Start to think about March Browns and even some Caddis patterns now as we press into this month and the accelerated fishing season! 
Use patterns such as Burk's TB March Brown or Pheasant Tails in size 12 and 14's.  Fishing has been pretty good with a mix bag of streamer fishing to throwing BWO's, March Browns, and even Caddis dries to rising fish. 
Best sections to fish have been the Glenshire stretch as some anglers have seen double digit days here, but don't disregard the sections toward State Line as water is more open here.
Nevada:
If you do fish the Truckee in Nevada please be aware that New Zealand Mudsnails have been found in sections of water there so please clean your shoes and gear accordingly to avoid aquatic hitch hikers!  
Study the water and turn rocks and see what is going on, also seine for what is in the drift.  Little things like this and slowing your approach to the river’s edge will greatly increase your chances of being successful. 
Again, make sure your box is stocked with every conceivable stage of bugs that are present now!  (x) = drawer number.

TWIN LAKES, CALIF:
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707) (www.kenssport.com) reports:
April 26, 2015
The Twins produced some really nice fish yesterday with the Lower showing another double digit brown just under 11 pounds. The weather was pretty tough but the folks who toughed it out did pretty well.
There were a couple other notable browns in the 8 and 9 pound class caught, also from the Lower Twin, as well as some nice 3 to 7 pound rainbows from both lakes. We had good reports from trollers using various stick baits like Rapalas and YoZuri's, also from bait anglers using inflated crawlers, power bait and mice tails.          

TWIN LAKES, CALIF:
Judy Allen at Annett's Mono Village (760- 932-7071) (www.monovillage.com):
Upper Twin Lake: The Upper Twin Lake opened the season with a much needed 5 inches of snow and with many happy campers and Anglers.
We had our Annual Opening Weekend Derby. 
Lucky winner was George Stallings from Camarillo, he landed a 6-pound 8-ounce rainbow while fishing from shore with green pumpkin Power Bait. His reward was $100 cash.
Other awesome catches a 6-pound, 13 ounce rainbow by Jamie Hawkins from La Mesa, a 6-pounder landed by Richard Brewer from La Lagunaniguel. James Nodofl from Ventura brought in a 5-pound, 4-ounce rainbow.
Our lake was recently stocked with 600 pounds from CA Fish and Game, averaging 1-2 pounds each. Desert Spring from Oregon planted 400 pounds, with an average of 6-7 pounds each. The Bridgeport Fish Enhancement stocked several 6-10 pounders in March of 2015.  These are tagged fish.

VIRGINIA LAKES, CALIF:  
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707) (www.kenssport.com) reports:
April 26, 2015
We also didn't get any reports in from the Virginias yet, I'd guess the snow was pretty heavy up there since it's over 9000 foot in elevation.
As soon as we hear some good news we'll pass it on!!

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:
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707) (www.kenssport.com) reports:
East Walker River: The East is still running at 20 CFS but has fished ok this past week.
We've had reports of some really nice fish up to 23 or 24 inches being landed on both the Cali and Nevada sides of the river.
It still seems as though the lower section below the bridge is the best on the California side though there are a few nice fish being caught on the Miracle Mile section as well.
We've had more good streamer reports than in previous weeks.
A couple main tips to keep in mind are to try to be very sneaky as the fish tend to be much more spooky with the low water flows, also, keep a close eye on some of the thinner riffle water as there are some good fish holding in water that is pretty shallow, try to not walk through that thin water and spook those fish before you put a few flies in their face!
Patterns to try include: zuddlers, moal leeches, wooly buggers, double bunnies, flashback emerger, wd-40, white zebra midge, rainbow warrior, silver streak, micro mayfly, stimulator, rubber leg stimulator, chubby chernobyl.     Sceirine Ranch: April 26, 2015. The ranch is still hanging in there with the same patterns doing well as reported above, it's starting to get a bit more traffic so if you want to book some time on this section give us a call ahead of time so we can get you on the calendar!       

WALKER RIVER, WEST, CALIF:
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707) (www.kenssport.com) reports:
April 26, 2015
We didn't get any reports in from the West yesterday, probably because the weather was pretty nasty up there, we did hear that there were a bunch of folks fishing up there this morning though so hopefully we'll start getting  some good reports in and when we do we'll be sure to pass them on to you.

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