Hello fellow anglers. Dang, it might have cooled off a little but the fish are still staying down deep with their mouths closed because many waters are still pretty warm. But I have to tell you about a privilege I had a week ago.
I was able to fish with two bass pro anglers on Topaz Lake. And let me tell you, we kicked bass! We fished for a couple hours and caught and released 18 smallmouth bass with Rapalas. I also fished for some topwater action.
I fished with 8-year-old Rafael Maugeri and his 4-year-old brother Santino Maugeri from Minden. Some of the bigger bass, they teamed up to reel them in. That was a sight to see, I tell you. That was some fun fishing.
In other fishing news:
I have been all over the Sierra for the past couple weeks looking for that hot spot. I am sorry to say, I have not found it. I will continue my quest and will never give up. This week’s report is short and to the point. But now give it time because when the weather cools off and back into the 80s, the bites will be right back on.
LAKE TAHOE: The fishing has been slow for most anglers. Some have been fishing off either Cave Rock or by Camp Richardson area. I spoke to a long-time friend that has fished the lake for years. He has always hits the shelf off of Ski Run. But this year, not so good. Most anglers have been pulling a dodger and a live minnow close to the bottom. Or using tube jigs in the rocks.
CAPLES LAKE: Renee and I fished the whole lake this week. We lead cored F7 and J5 Rapalas in 30 to 50 feet of water. We also threw out a topline and changed up on various patterns, without a single hit. I could see some big schools of fish when we trolled from Purgatory cove to the Weeds Creek area (which is not flowing now). But I must say, we did not get skunked. I did catch and released an 8 inch rainbow. The lake level is still up and water was a cool 69 degrees. Reminder that on September 12th the Caples Lake Marina will be holding a free kids fishing derby. They will have prizes and hot dogs for anglers. For more information, call the Caples Lake Resort and Marina at 209-258-8888.
WOODS LAKE: The water is low and I have not fished it recently. Nor have I received and reports. It is located just 2 miles east of Caples Lake. They do offer basic camping right at the lake.
RED LAKE: which is now, green lake. This time of year, the lake turns over and has a nice shade of green. The lake is still quit fishable. And I have reports from a couple anglers that caught a few small rainbows and a brook trout. They were using inflated night crawlers.
INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR: The lake has a lot of algae along the shore. If you don’t mind cleaning some weeds off every cast, you will catch some nice fish. But here again, the water temp was about 75 degrees and the fish are mostly out in the deeper waters. I would suggest fishing off the dam. But watch your step out there.
WEST CARSON RIVER ALPINE COUNTY: The water level is very low and slow flowing. There are some decent holes out in Hope Valley. But you need to sneak up on them as not to spook any fish. Best bet would be to venture down into the Woodfords Canyon area for some deeper shaded places.
EAST FORK CARSON RIVER ALPINE COUNTY: The water level has dropped a lot. But is still very fishable. You just need to do some exploring and walking. Look for those undercut cliffs and those still pools right below the faster moving waters.
I guesstimate the speed of the river this week was about 1.5 mph in the flat waters. Small Panther Martin spinners in the slower waters. Or drifting a hopper or an elk hair caddis early morning or late evening. The Carson River Resort is open for tent and RV camping with a fully stocked general store. Or you could stay in on of their cabins. If you’re lucky enough, you might be able to get to stay in the 100-year-old cabin right on the river. For more information, call the resort at 530-694-2229.
TOPAZ LAKE: The lake level is still dropping. In just a week the level went down another 5 or so feet, which makes it nice to drive right down on the boat launch area and back right in. I trolled the lake on all sides with various sizes of Rapalas and a few flies. I toplined, and took them deep. After 4 hour with out a bite for trout. I went and picked up my two young fellow anglers and went bass fishing. We caught and released 18 smallmouth bass from 10 inches to a couple pounds. But I have to say, I am looking forward to fall weather. The fishing will be off the charts when the temps turn down a little.
BRIDGEPORT RESRVOIR: The lake level is getting low. Most anglers have been bait or fly fishing over in the Buckeye and Robinson Creek channels. Trollers have been picking up to much green on their lines. The Marina is open for tent and RV camping and boat rentals as long as the water level is up. For more information call the Bridgeport Marina at 760-932-7001.
DOWN SOUTH: Now that we’ve hit mid-August the temps are cooling a bit and the summer crowds have lessened. Within a week or two there may even be a hint of fall in the air. The cooling trend will help the fishing at the local lakes and Upper Owens while in the backcountry it should remain about the same into October.
GULL AND JUNE LAKES: Ya know, every year there’s something goofy going on with the CDFW stocking. Hatcheries shut down, power outages, not enough oxygen to transport fish, not enough truck drivers, the water is too warm etc., etc. According to their on-line fish planting schedule (I look at this while drinking a big cup of skepticism) the last Gull Lake stocking was the week of July 12th and for June Lake the week before Fourth of July.
Hence, the amount of fish we’re catching goes down each trip out. Typically, usually and “whateverlly” before Labor Day, weekend stockings by the state, the marinas, the June Lake stocking program, and sometimes Mono County will provide a boost to the fishing and carry us through into October. So, we shall see! All that being said, during recent trips on both lakes we’ve been getting 10 to 15 Rainbows up to 16 inches and an occasional Cutthroat on June Lake. As usual, our baits of choice are Mice-tails, Garlic Pinch Crawlers, and Salmon Peach and Garlic Powerbaits. Soon we’ll all add to the mix a nightcrawler bobber rig as this starts working round about this time of year.
UPPER OWEN RIVER ABOVE BENTONS CROSSING: As a reminder, this section is barbless flies and lures only, catch and release, open all year. The recent cooling trend and a slight increase in the flow has improved the fishing here. As the cooling continues into Fall and maybe a bit more flow by mid to late September we should be seeing big Rainbows and Browns come up from Crowley like last year.
For now, using Yellow Spot and Flashback Pheasant Tail nymphs, Caddis flies, Stimulators, Hoppers, Stoneflies, Wooly Buggers and others we’ve been catching a good amount of smaller Rainbows and Browns along with up to 20-inch Rainbows and Kamloops. Interestingly, the bigger fish, despite the very clear water, are not that spooky as compared to the Browns that were here in July. As soon as we casted anywhere nearby they were gone. Here’s some hopeful speculation since the big Winter and ensuing run off in 2023 there has been no Hoppers until now! There’s a lot of grasshoppers populating the grass along the river so maybe in September there will be a decent Hopper Season and/or at least it will lead to next year’s regeneration of the yearly season. Fingers crossed on this one!
BACKCOUNTRY: Our two favorite spots, Mine Creek in Tioga Pass and Upper Rock Creek in Little Lakes Valley, are not fishing quite as well as the past few years but we’re still getting from 20 to 30 mostly small Brookies using Caddis patterns and Black Ants. Always a ton of fun along with spectacular scenery these locations offer a wonderful day hiking and fly fishing experience.
I will continue to keep my line wet and with cooler temps just around the corner. The fishing will be on the hook. Good luck on your next fishing adventure. I hope to see you on the waters soon. If you get a picture of your catch. Send it to editor@carsonnow.org. Good fishing and tight lines.
