Butte County Fishing Reports

The bass bite at Thermalito Afterbay is a grind. Fish are scattered and roaming, and the lower-than-normal water levels have left much of the shoreline cover, including tules, too shallow or completely dry. Productive zones are limited to rocky banks, offshore structure, and the dam area, but even there, fish aren’t holding—they’re constantly moving.

Water temps are in the low 70s. Water clarity is good, but drops in spots with heavy boat pressure in the afternoons.

Weightless worms are getting most of the consistent action, around 10-15 feet with a slow fall working best. Downsizing bait and hook size has helped trigger more bites too. Dropshots are working for fish holding offshore. Craw imitations are a solid choice right now... many fish are puking up bright red craws. Big trout-pattern swimbaits have produced some 5–6 pounders recently, but the swimbait bite is hit-or-miss. A light early chatterbait bite is also in play up shallow.

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.