976-FRESH Freshwater Fish Report

TROUT: The trout bite throughout the Eastern Sierra region remains excellent and access to more high elevation waters have opened up this past week. Top picks in a region filled with good fishing would be Crowley Lake, Bridgeport Reservoir, the entire June Lake loop, and the Twin Lakes at Bridgeport. The entire Bishop Creek drainage is also a very good bet, especially South Lake with a plant of huge Alperís fish. In urban Southern California plants have ended most places and the bites have gone in the tank quickly. Top bet is Jess Ranch in Hesperia (which is continuing to get weekly plants). In the local mountains, Big Bear Lake remains very good along the north shore and in most bays, and Jenks Lake and Gregory are getting DFG fish now. Lake Hemet and Lake Cuyamaca have also been excellent, mostly on pan-sized fish.

BLACK BASS: The bass action remains good most places with the fish still in the shallows, but the spawn is over most places. The bite is hot on plastics, reaction baits, and swim baits. Good surface action is also starting most places. Top bets include Perris, Diamond Valley, Skinner, Casitas (the shad were up for the third week in a row), and the whole lower Colorado River. Cachuma and Santa Margarita, and even the higher elevation waters like Piru, Pyramid, and Silverwood are also good.

STRIPED BASS: The wiper bite at Lake Elsinore took off this week with fish to 12 1/2-pounds reported. The fish are up on top early busting shad. With the California aqueduct near Taft slowing to just fair this past week, the top bet for a quality fish is Lake Silverwood and the best bet for volume catches of two to five-pound fish is either Diamond Valley or Skinner. Elsewhere, the striper bites all are very spotty right now. On the Colorado River, the Willow Beach bite cooled a little but should come back on during the new moon. Mojave and Havasu are both starting to turn on as the fish start to move around and move upriver for spawning.

PANFISH: Henshawís crappie bite is the easy top pick, but the crappie bites at Piru and Elsinore are both worth noting. The Isabella bite is no ìcrappie maniaî but thereís a fair bite in deeper water on minnows. Crappie bites at Sutherland, Otay, and Hodges are worth watching with fish to nearly three pounds. Casitas has been just fair, but some pigs to three pounds have been caught on live shad. Silverwood remained just fair with some bluegill joining the crappie. The Salton Sea tilapia bite has been excellent with the full ice-chest mode the rule much of the past week. The bluegill and redear bites really exploded in a lot of places this past week. Top bets for nice stringers are Lake Perris, Lake Skinner, Diamond Valley Lake, Otay, and Hodges. The bite on the all four of the Central Coast lakes ñ Lopez, Santa Margarita, Nacimiento, and San Antonio ñ are good, in about that order.

CATFISH: While fishing pressure is light, the flathead catfish bite on the Colorado River seems to be getting better by the day. More and more 12 to 30-pound fishing are being landed each week in the lower river from Havasu south. This weekendís new moon should really kick this bite off. The channel cats are also on a pretty good bite. Outside of the river, Santa Ana River Lake, Corona Lake, and Hesperia Lake are the top bets for planted fish (all three are planting weekly), and Elsinore is turning on for wild fish.

1. The top picks stay panfish bites. While Lake Henshaw was off from the previous week, its crappie bite was still very good even during the poor moon phase. This bite should surge again once more this spring as we go into the new moon this Sunday. The best bite is on small jigs tipped with meal worms or Crappie Nibbles. Most of these fish have been from 3/4-pound to 1 1/2 pounds with some in the two-pound or better class. It has simply been the best fishing in the region. Call the Henshaw store at 760-782-3501 for the latest here.

2. Lake Piruís crappie action stays in the second spot with action that has rivaled Henshaw. Most anglers continue to get at least 10 to 15 crappie and there are a lot of slabs to three pounds reported. The best bite is on small red and white or chartreuse jigs tipped with meal worms or red worms fished on just about any brushy shoreline. For an update on this bite call the main office at 805-521-1500, x208.

3. Yes, itís been hot with temperatures over 100 degrees this week, but the tilapia action at the Salton Sea has been excellent, and the fish are in the same size range running from 3/4-pound to 1 1/2-pounds. Itís time to fill the ice chest. This is a 100 percent nightcrawler bite. The bad news is that the state recreation area is targeted for closure June 30 as part of the budget crisis. For an update on the action, call the Visitor Center at 760-393-3810.

Barring adverse weather, water or road conditions, the following lakes and streams, listed by county, will be restocked with catchable-size rainbow trout from the Department of Fish and Game hatcheries this week. For updates in Southern California and the Eastern Sierra Nevada, you can call the DFG recording at 562-594-7268, or for updates in the Western Sierra, you can call 559-243-4005, x183. For trout plants statewide, youcan visit the DFGís new stocking web site at http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants/.

LOS ANGELES: Crystal Lake, Elizabeth Lake.

INYO: Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Intake II, Middle Fork, South Fork), Cottonwood Creek, Diaz Lake, Georges Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Shepherd Creek, South Lake, Symmes Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinnemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek.

MONO: Bridgeport Reservoir.

KERN: Kern River (Sections 4 and 5).

TULARE: Dry Meadow Creek, Kern River (Section 6), Nobe Young Creek, Peppermint Creek (Upper and Lower).

FRESNO: Kings River (below Pine Flat Dam), Mammoth Pool Lake, San Joaquin River (below Friant Dam).

SILVERWOOD: The striped bass bite has been good with a lot of quality fish from six to 10 pounds caught on big trout-like swimbaits, cranks, and frozen anchovies over the past week. The hot action has been at the inlet, but fish are showing in the main channel, around the marina, and at the outlet. Danny Thompson, Mission Hills, had 14 stripers on anchovies at the inlet. The stringer weighed around 100 pounds and his best fish was a 12 pounder. The largemouth bass bite is also very good with the fish in shallow showing on plastics worms, jigs, and reaction baits. Brad Bush, San Bernardino, float-tubed the lake the past two Mondays. In Cleghorn last week, he landed 15 largemouths on drop-shot Robo Worms to three pounds. This Monday he tubed at the dam and landed six quality largemouth to six pounds and an eight-pound striped bass. There were DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago with pretty good action on fresh planters and holdover trout to nearly two pounds on small lures and floating dough baits. Miller Canyon Creek, above the lake, was planted by the DFG two weeks ago. The crappie bite has continued to be fair with some catches of 3/4-pound-average fish on small jigs off the marina docks. Jim Thompson, Hesperia, had 15 crappie on small jigs tipped with meal worms and Crappie Nibbles off the docks. The bluegill bite is fair to good with the warmer weather. The catfish are also starting to show in fair to good numbers for anglers fishing nightcrawlers and cut baits at the dam, Cleghorn, and Chemise area. Cats to 10 pounds reported this past week. Dock fishing is allowed for $3 for adults, $2 for kids and seniors. The park is again open seven days a week. Information: marina 760-389-2299, state park 760-389-2281, Silverwood Country store 760-389-2423.

BIG BEAR LAKE: The moon waned, the Santa Ana winds died down, and the trout went back on the bite. Surface water temps across the lake are 58 degrees. While oxygen levels are still high near Juniper Pt., they have fallen to the west and will not support trout below 46 feet at the dam and Papoose Bay.  At the west ramp and Observatory the oxygen stops at 32 feet. For bait anglers it is time to give up on bottom fishing in those areas and time to rig up your slip bobbers to find the fish. Trollers are finding the fish with three to four colors of leadcore, which translates into 15 to 20 feet for the right depth to rig your slip bobber and perhaps a little deeper depending on your location on the lake. Trollers are not finding much action on the surface at this time, but the leadcore with Needlefish, Thomas Buoyants, and Dick Nite spoons have gotten the most fish. No real magic to the color of spoon, at one time or another they all seem to work. Top area to troll has been the Trout Triangle (from Eagle Point to the observatory to Lagonita Point). The bass bite has been improving with both smallmouth and largemouth showing in fair numbers around docks, rocky areas, and other shoreline structure. The May Trout Classic will be held May 19-20, and there will be a $5,000 tagged trout this season. Applications for entry are available now and only the first 500 entries will be accepted. Cost is $65 per person and all money will go toward the cast payout for the top nine biggest trout or into a fund to plant the lake with more rainbow trout, including trophy fish. For more information on the classic: www.maytroutclassic.com or e-mail Jacque Hall at jacque@maytroutclassic.com. For fishing information: Big Bear Marina 909-866-3218 (or www.bigbearmarina.com), Big Bear Sporting Goods 909-866-3222.

GREGORY LAKE: The trout bite has been pretty fair with a nice mix of brown trout and rainbows in the catch. The brown have all been from a half-pound to 1 1/2-pounds with a few in the two-pound class, and there have been 5,000 pounds planted so far this season. They were planted in hopes of reducing the stunted crappie population. The most recent DFG trout plants were two and four weeks ago. The best bite has been on floating baits fished on 18 to 24-inch leaders. For more information, call the Lake Gregory boathouse at 909-338-2233.

GREEN VALLEY LAKE: Opening day is this Friday (May 18) and all of the private plants this year will be from Jess Ranch, and some trophy fish will be planted for this opening weekend. There was a DFG trout plant two weeks ago. Fees for 2012 remain at $15 per adult, $10 for kids, military, and seniors. All trout over six pounds win a GVL tee-shirt. Recorded information: 909-867-2009 and the new website is www.gvlfishing.com.

JENKS LAKE REGION: The first DFG plant of the season went in two weeks ago, and this perked things appreciably. The parking area is not slated to open until June 1. Anglers should check with the Mill Creek Ranger Station about this. The parking area typically opened the first week of May. The Santa Ana River and the South Fork were planted with DFG trout last week and three weeks ago. General Information: Mill Creek Ranger Station at 909-382-2881.

HESPERIA LAKE: The catfish action has been excellent with weekly plants. The best action has been in the morning and evening, with shrimp and inflated nightcrawlers the top baits. Some fish topping 10 pounds, but most anglers are reporting limits of three to five-pound channels. No trout or sturgeon reported this past week. Lake hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the night session from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Cost is $15 per angler. No state fishing license is required here. Information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.

MOJAVE NARROWS: Catfish plants start next week and the county stocks will go in every-other-week this season. DFG trout plant two weeks ago. Horseshoe Lake is still closed due to flood damage. Pelican Lake is remains open. For lake information: 760-245-2226.

PERRIS: The bluegill and redear bites are excellent with a lot of anglers posting full 25-fish limits of these fish up into the 1 1/2-pound range. The best bite has been on small jigs tipped with bait or deeply fished meal worms, wax worms, or crickets. The fish are schooled up in three to 15 feet of water along most shoreline, but the Bernasconi Beach area has been best for the ëgills and the island best for the redear. Bass have slowed this past week, but a few fish continue to show on plastics and reaction baits, including some on topwater. Logan Laroche, Lake Elsinore, had a 6-15 bass in Power Boat Cove on a plastic, while Trevon McFadden, Riverside, weighed in a 4-11 on a Fluke at the marina docks. A few trout continue to show with the best action in the mornings. DFG trout plant last week. Crappie still very slow. Few carp or catfish reports. The park and marina is back open seven days a week. Hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Marina hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: marina 951-657-2179, state park 951-940-5600.

JESS RANCH: The trout bite was up and down with the hot temperatures this past week. Best bite was before 10 a.m. with anglers using Power Bait (especially salmon peach, rainbow, garlic and orange), nightcrawlers, jigs and lures to catch limits and lots of fish near or over two pounds. Eugene Todd, Victorville, landed a 7-5 rainbow on a Power Worm, while a 4-7 trout was caught by Robby Gorman, Upland, on rainbow PowerBait. A 3-15 was landed by Larry Pete, Hesperia, on orange PowerBait. The catfish bite is good with anglers using shrimp, mackerel and nightcrawlers to catch fish up to five pounds or better. Quoc Mai, Upland, had a 10-6 channel on shrimp. Bass are active on Senkos, spinnerbaits, and nightcrawlers with largemouth to seven pounds report. Bluegill are just beginning to move on meal worms and jigs near the wall and western shore of lake 2. The lake complex is open every Friday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it is stocked with trout each week on Friday from its own hatchery. Lake information: 760-240-1107 or www.jessranchlakesnews.com.

DIAMOND VALLEY: The bass bite remains fair to good on Senkos and drop-shotted plastics fish in five to 20 feet of water. Matt Johnson, Hemet, had a 9.5-pound bass on a custom bait fishing from shore. Stripers have improved some from last week, with a fair to good bite on school-sized fish from two to five pounds showing on sardines at the inlet-outlet tower buoy line. Catfish improving on cut baits with the warm weather. The fish are all moving shallow in three to 15 feet on nightcrawlers and cut baits. A few trout are still showing, but the bite is winding down. There is a DFG plant slated for next week. Best bite has been around the marina on PowerBait, mini jigs, and nightcrawlers. Both the bluegill and redear bites are starting to take off with some good catches reported in the past week on small jigs tipped with meal worms. Even a few 25-fish limits. Crappie slow. Private boats must be inspected for zebra and quagga mussels. Boats with wet lower units will be turned away. For general lake and launch information, call 800-590-LAKE. For fishing and boat rental info call the marina at 951-926-7201 or www.dvmarina.com or Last Chance Bait and Tackle at 951-658-7410 or www.lastchancetackle.com.

SKINNER: The largemouth bass bite has been fair to good in the east end on reaction baits, plastic worms, and nightcrawlers with quite a few fish to four pounds reported. The striper bite is also pretty good at the inlet on chicken liver and anchovies with most of the fish from two to three pounds with some to five pounds. Jim and Sarah Chavarela and Russ Rowe, all Tustin, had eight stripers to three pounds on anchovies at the dam. Lang Lueung, Hemet, had a five-pound striper at Ramp 1 fishing a Robo worm. The bluegill bite is good to excellent over much of the lake on nightcrawlers, meal worms, wax worms, and crickets. A few catfish are starting to show on chicken liver and mackerel in Catfish Alley alonmg the south shore. Information: store 951-926-1505 or marina 951-926-8515.

ELSINORE: The wiper and catfish bites have gone ballistic. The wipers are all running from 6 1/2 to 12 1/2 pounds and 22 have been reported just at Williams Bait, Tackle and Boat Rental since Friday. The early morning has been the best bite, from sunrise to 9 or 10 a.m. and the fish are just ripping up the shad. The best bite has been on live shad during this bite, but shad-like swimbaits and rip baits are also working. In the afternoons and evening, some wipers are also showing on shrimp and nightcrawlers fished on the bottom. The catfish bite is also wide open with most anglers still fishing in less than 10 feet of water and tight to flooded trees and brush. The cats are running from five to 12 pounds and shad and cut baits have been the best bets. The crappie are still not being landed in great numbers, but they are mostly over 1 1/2 pounds and up into the three-pound range. Just fair action on small jigs or live shad. The bluegill are very good with a lot of nice-sized fish up to nearly a pound, mostly on meal worms, wax worms, crickets, and small jigs. Quite a few smaller largemouth to 10 inches are being caught all around the lake, but few bigger fish. Anglers targeting the carp are starting to get a lot of fish, too. For more information, call Williamís Bait, Tackle, and Boat Rental at 951-642-0640 or go to www.williamsboatandtackle.com.