Lake County Fishing Reports

Clear Lake bass are in post-spawn mode and feeding aggressively around shallow wood and brush. The topwater bite is starting to unlock, with walking baits doing very well in shallow, stained water near tree clusters. Clearer areas are holding fish too, but they’re far more likely to follow without committing.

When they won’t come up, a Texas-rigged craw or weedless drop shot is getting bit in the same cover. PB&J-colored finesse worms are pulling solid fish out of bushes, docks, and stump lines, especially when soaked offshore near former beds. Senkos and free rigs are also connecting.

Threadfin shad schools are becoming more prevalent around the lake. Look for shade lines and surface activity, then target these fish with topwater, drop shots, or smaller swimbaits.

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.