Trinity County Fishing Reports

Water levels are very high at Trinity Lake and conditions are excellent. Water is clear, and temps are sitting in the high 60s. In far north lakes, the bass spawn is typically delayed, and that's exactly the case for Trinity. Fish are actively on beds, with a few transitioning into post-spawn. The coves on the south end are holding some quality largemouth, with jigs, swimbaits, and T-rigged worms doing the work. Some bigger females have been reported in the double-digit range... look for them holding a few feet deeper from their male counterparts on beds.

Smallmouth action has been very good as well, but more so on the upper end... off points, downed logs, or any hard structure. Small trout-colored swimbaits are getting crushed in these spots, with some nice 2-3+ pound fish being caught.

Not a lot of reports on the salmon or trout front. A few trout guys are running Rapalas near the dam and off points, hooking some quality rainbows with the occasional big brown. Most of the attention is on bass right now though.

According to Kenny Priest, the Eel River slid back into fishable shape last week, with the main stem dropping to a clean green while still running on the high side. Flows were around 4,400 cfs late last week, and it should stay in that window through the end of the month before the next storm cycle. Steelhead are around, but the bite has been inconsistent. The South Fork has been the better bet, holding just over 1,000 cfs at Miranda and fishing well for more than a week from top to bottom. It’s continuing to clear, which is tightening the bite somewhat.

Flows on the Trinity River have come up with recent rain, but the river is still producing. That bump in water has helped new steelhead push in, and there’s now a noticeable mix of wild fish alongside hatchery returns. When flows rise quickly, steelhead stop traveling and settle into softer holding water… inside edges, depth breaks, and protected tailouts where they don’t have to fight current. As flows stabilize, movement resumes and fish become more willing to eat.

Black and silver plugs continue to draw grabs when worked through defined travel lanes. As flows settle, deeper nymphing has been more consistent, picking off steelhead holding in buckets and along seam edges.

The upper river below Lewiston remains the most reliable stretch thanks to cold water and predictable flows, but fish are also spread through the mid and lower sections wherever structure breaks up the flow.