A recent fishing trip to the extreme northeast corner of the state near Alturas in Modoc County proved to be productive. This trip has become an annual event for a group of us. We mix a little boat fishing and fly-fishing.
Our trip last season proved to be a bust. We went early, before Memorial Day, due to cool temperatures and high runoff. This year we moved things back two weeks and it was outstanding.
The water in the streams while high was quite fishable. The surface water temperature in Blue Lake was in the 61- to 62-degree F range. Whether trolling with flashers and worms or lures, the fish did not seem to mind. Each day all of the anglers in our party caught fish.
While we fished with conventional tackle, fly-fishing can also be extremely productive here. We saw plenty of midges, mayflies, damselflies and dragonflies flying about and fish actively feeding on the surface.
Blue Lake is a gem of a lake southeast of the town of Likely, at an elevation of 6,000 feet. At 160 acres it is best fished with a small boat of some kind. It is located in the Warner Mountains and is picturesque. A U.S. Forest Service campground with 48 tent and RV sites is located on the lake.
Fishing with conventional top lining with the flasher and worms proved to be successful in this lake. Fishing with lures and a downrigger down to 25 feet was also productive. Most of the fish were recently planted rainbow trout, undoubtedly put in for the Memorial Day camping crowd that we heard was significant. Those fish were small, about 8 to 12 inches in length. Holdover rainbows, brook and brown trout are all available in the lake.
The brown trout are the largest fish in the lake. We did manage to hook two of those fish while trolling, but we did not land either one of them. We did get to see them. One was estimated to have been around 16 inches and the other one would have been almost 5 pounds.
Brown trout up to 17 pounds have reportedly been caught in this water. Surprisingly, the large brown trout we lost took a small worm behind some flashers.
We also fly-fished both East Creek and the headwaters of the South Fork of the Pit River. We caught some small brown trout and lost a large one while fishing dry flies. There was an active hatch of caddisflies, blue wing olive and PMD mayflies. The really exciting hatch to me was the emergence of what appeared to be a green drake mayfly. These insects are extremely large.
All in all, a trip to this region affords the angler many opportunities in which to fish. We highly recommend a road trip into this region. For more information, visit fs.usda.gov.
FISHING REPORT
Boca Reservoir | The road over the dam is closed until further notice. Inflow is at 531 cfs and the outflow is 441 cfs. Powerbait, nightcrawlers and lures are all working. Fly-fishers have been catching some fish near the inlet with nymphs, streamers and dries.
Donner Lake | Fishing has been fair to good. Kokanee fishing has been fair to good. Nightcrawlers and Powerbait seem to be the main bait. Mackinaw fishing has been good. Fly-fishers are catching some fish with streamers.
Lake Tahoe | All tributaries are closed to all fishing until July 1. Fishing has been fair to good for mackinaw. A guide is highly recommended if you are fishing for mackinaw for the first time. Toplining and shore fishing is fair. Most shore anglers use inflated nightcrawlers.
Little Truckee River | The flow is at 531 cfs. The flows have gone up. Fishing at this level can be a bit of a challenge. Nymphing is your best bet at these flows. Hatches are similar to the main Truckee.
Martis Lake | Zero kill. Catch and release only with barbless artificial lures or flies. Fishing is best early in the season and the fall. Smallmouth bass are part of the fishery.
Prosser Reservoir | Fishing has been fair. Anglers using bait, lures and flies have all caught fish. Fly-fishers have done well near the inlet areas. Bass fishing has been fair.
Stampede Reservoir | The road will be closed over the dam for construction this season and next. Access to the boat ramp will be through the Hobart Mills side. Fishing has been fair from shore. Nightcrawlers, Powerbait and lures have all produced from shore. Fly-fishers have been doing well near the inlets with nymphs and streamers. The kokanee fishing has been fair to good. Smallmouth bass fishing has been fair.
Truckee River | The flow out of the dam in Tahoe City is at 1,610 cfs. The flows through Truckee are at 2,374 cfs. While it has come down some, the flow remains high. Fishing has been good for those working hard. Most anglers are using San Juan worms, egg patterns and large stonefly imitations. Baetis, March Brown, Caddis imitations and streamers are also good this time of year. This water is special regulation, artificial only with barbless hook. Catch-and-release fishing is encouraged, but an angler may keep two fish with a minimum size of 14 inches during the regular trout season.
Davis and Frenchman lakes | Both are full and spilling. Boat, shore and fly anglers are catching fish. Reports from Davis are only fair. Blood midge, callibaetis and small midges are the main insects to imitate subsurface. Frenchman fishing has been fair. Damsels are beginning to show, as well.
