California Delta Fishing Report

The Delta has seen a solid push of stripers move through and up the Sacramento River over the last few weeks. Fish are still present in the West Delta (Pittsburg area), with live bait producing best. The Central Delta bite has been fair to good, but expect a lot of undersized fish... the bigger stripers are being caught ripping large jerkbaits during low-light hours. Over the next 2–3 weeks, look for Sacramento fish to begin migrating back down, which should light up the West Delta bite.

Largemouth action has been hit or miss. Fish are locked in full spawn mode and holding in less than 5 feet of water... but very finicky. Spawning beds are hard to spot given current water conditions, but the fish are there. Best approach is to stay shallow, working Senkos, Texas-rigged worms, and punch baits in and around vegetation. There's also been a decent frog bite in the mornings before 9 a.m., and that should only improve as water temps continue to climb.

The Delta is seeing water temps climb into the low-to-mid 60s, and with consistent warm weather in the forecast, they should keep pushing higher next week. The spring bite is close, but it hasn't fully unlocked yet.

Stripers are making their way in from the bay, with a good class of healthy fish in the 8-10 pound range. Most of the action is still west... Frank's Tract, the Sacramento Channel... as there hasn't been a forceful push into the central delta just yet. Lure casters and live bait guys alike are finding fish, with moving water being the common thread.

Largemouth are in prespawn, but the bite has been a grind, especially in the central delta. The good news is that the first large females are just now showing up on clean bottom this week. The biggest challenge right now is finding clean vegetation. A poorly flushed winter left sediment loaded throughout the system, coating veg and making fish tougher to pattern. When you find clean bottom, slow down. Finesse gear, dropshots, T-rigged worms, and Senkos in green pumpkin have been the go-to, with the outgoing tide being the best window.

Spring has arrived on the Delta, and the fishing is following suit. After weeks of murky water and inconsistent action, things are finally clicking into gear... with the best still ahead. Water temps are sitting right around an ideal 60°F and climbing. Clarity is improving across the system, with creek channels pushing 6-8 feet of visibility and the South Delta and Frank's Tract continuing to clean up. The Central Delta is still a bit stained, but even that's trending in the right direction.

The largemouth spawn has quietly begun. Only a small fraction of the big females have moved shallow, but the fish are showing up, and tournament bags are reflecting it (25+ pound bags). Weekend anglers are stringing together solid 10-15 fish days as well. The pattern is throwing reaction baits... chatterbaits, jerkbaits, squarebills... until you find active fish, then slowing it down with worms and drop shots to pick the area apart. The late afternoon has been best.

Stripers are biting too. Resident fish in the 18-22 inch class are scattered throughout the system and responding to jerkbaits, underspins, and even fly gear. Not trophy-sized, but the action has been fun.