Butte County Fishing Reports

Spotted bass have slid into full post-spawn mode and are stacking on steep banks, timber edges, and color breaks marking depth shifts. Folks are primarily getting fish on drop shot rigs and wacky Senkos in natural colors. Red crankbaits are also working off mid-depth rock walls, especially with a little chop on the surface. Early mornings bring a short topwater window in the shaded pockets and calmer coves... worth tossing a walking bait or popper before the sun hits.

The King salmon bite has been inconsistent, with fish scattered from 80-100 feet. Water’s in the high 60s and clear. Golden mussel inspections have finally started at Oroville, and will soon be at every boat launch on the lake.

Striper fishing is still tangled in the spawn… milting males are being caught, and the occasional dead floater is drifting by. The river jumped a couple of feet after a Shasta release, but flows are settling in and things are starting to clean up. Debris is still an issue though… you’ll want to keep your line clear and check for fouled lures often. Bites are light… lots of short strikes. Full baitfish are working better than trimmed ones. If you’re trolling, stay tight: 10 to 15 feet down at 1.8 to 2.2 mph, and make sure that rod tip is dancing… if it’s dead, you’re dragging junk. Rounded river rocks are holding more fish than jagged stuff. One local reportedly stacked 100 fish in two hours earlier this week… so the bite’s there if you hit it right.