Shaver Lake Fishing Report

Shaver Lake is producing kokanee and rainbows for those willing to tough out the cold. The best action has been around Stevenson Bay, Boy Scout Cove, and Black Rock, where fish are somewhat scattered but active.

Downriggers set between 15-25 feet with 80-100 foot setbacks have been most effective. A top-line 200 feet back with a dodger has also picked up fish. Small spinners, trolling flies, and micro hoochies have all been producing, especially in bright colors like orange, green, and watermelon. Dodgers and rudders are helping with attraction and line control. Water temperatures are holding around 41.5°F, and trolling speeds of 1.3-1.6 mph are working best.

Shaver received back-to-back CDFW trout stockings in December to wrap up 2024, and the fish already seem to have spread out across the lake. Trollers are getting bit at 20-30 feet with orange micro hoochies and wedding rings, while shore anglers are soaking rainbow or orange PowerBait or winding bright-colored spoons. Most of the caught fish have been the usual CDFW 10-12 inchers, but a few “trophies” (4-7 pounds) from past stockings by the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project have shown up.

The occasional kokanee has been caught by trout anglers, but overall, reports are the salmon action remains slow.

The weather is cooling, and so is the water temperature at Shaver, leading to an uptick in Kokanee and rainbow activity. Fish are moving shallower, north of 75 feet. Kokanee males are showing their teeth, and females are filled with eggs, indicating that the spawn should kick off shortly. The Kokanee Power tournament saw a big turnout, with 131 anglers and fish ranging from 15 to 19 inches, peaking at around 2 pounds. The northwest part of the lake was the hottest. Shore casters are occasionally pulling rainbows by soaking Powerbait or ripping spoons.