Shaver’s turning heads right now… and it’s not the kokanee getting the attention. A fourth trophy brown in under a month hit the net this week, and this one cleared 16 pounds. These fish aren’t showing up by accident. Years back, the lake was stocked with undersized browns, and now they’re thriving on an abundance of small kokanee and juvenile bass. That food base is doing exactly what you’d hope... building giants. Most of the big browns have come as bycatch on kokanee gear, but they’re clearly keyed in on the same forage.

Kokanee-wise, reports say third-year fish are limited this season due to the missed plant in 2023, but a few 18-inchers are still hanging around. Most of the current kokanee are second-year fish, but many are maturing ahead of schedule... which means more adult-size kokes to target… and more quality forage in the system for brown trout and bass to feed on.

Rainbow limits are still available for trollers and shorecasters soaking nightcrawlers or PowerBait. Smallmouth action is picking up too, especially on small reaction baits like cranks and underspins.