April 2026 is in the books and May is off to a rip-roaring start. Following an unusually warm and mild March, April felt a little more normal with some cooler temperatures and some precipitation here in the Almanor basin. Early April had me continuing to focus on shallow pond smelt eating fish at various locations around the lake. The peninsula started producing as the muddy water from Hamilton Branch cleared. The east shore provided some great action in April, again these were mostly shallow fish focused on the lake's pond smelt population. To that end, most of the time on the water it was either plugs or soft plastics that were scoring fish. As we progressed through the month of April and things started to warm, the aquatic bugs began to get active. This is an exciting time of the season as the warming waters, and the pure bug protein diet promotes high energy and bad attitudes of these fish. Hard charging takedowns followed by powerful runs and plenty of arial activity are happening on a daily basis, with the bite the last several weeks being red-hot. The last few weeks have been lots of high-speed spoon action, but from time to time, when the conditions are right, I am still slowing things down to target some of the smelt eating fish. The lake is in great spring shape, sitting 3 feet from full pool and slowly on the rise. Water temps have been in the low 50's with small fluctuations based on the weather and the wind. This is prime time spring trout fishing conditions.
The calendar is getting full, leaving only a few days left available in this month of May and June filling quickly as well. Don't miss your chance to get in on some of the best spring trout fishing California has to offer. Check the Booking Calendar for openings and Contact Us Now to reserve your dates. I look forward to seeing you on the water.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Bryan Roccucci