El Capitan is fishing true to summer form right now. Bass are hitting topwater early, with poppers and walking baits drawing strikes along shallow brush and exposed structure. Once the sun’s up, the bass pull off into deeper water, settling into 15 to 30 feet around rock piles, creek channels, and submerged points. Deep-diving cranks, small jigs, and drop-shot rigs are doing the work here.

Catfish action is hot right now, with reports of 20-plus pounders coming up regularly. Big blues are holding deep in river-cut channels and along drop-offs. Heavier setups and typical cut baits like shad and mackerel are the go-to.

Lake levels are low, exposing more structure and tightening up the target zones. Morning topwater and afternoon deep structure are the keys to staying on fish. Ramp is still open, but it’s tight.