Whiskeytown Lake Fishing Report

Spring has officially begun at Whiskeytown. Water temps have jumped to around 54 degrees this week, sparking excellent Kokanee fishing and very good bass action.

Kokanee are running high in the water column right now, and limits are coming fast. Many are pulling Paulina Peak Tackle spinners or Wedding Rings tipped with corn and garlic scent in the upper 20 feet, 60-70 feet back. The main body of the lake has been best.

The bass bite is starting to pick up as fish ease into the transition zones. Swimbaits and drop-shots are accounting for most of the action right now. With warm weather forecasted next week, expect them to push shallower and the bite to improve even more.

Water temps at Whiskeytown are down to around 60°F. Trout haven’t been stocked since July, but holdovers are getting more active with the cool down. The CDFW has scheduled its first stock of the season for next week. Trolled spoons, Rapalas (both tipped with nightcrawler), and even Kokanee gear are still pulling some quality fish, though the Kokanee bite is long done. Fly anglers are picking up a few as well in the backs of coves and inlets with midges and woolly buggers. Spotted bass are still biting, more size than numbers, with dropshots and small swimbaits doing the best. Woolly buggers are working for bass, too. Once temps dip a few more degrees, expect the bass action to fade out for winter.