Northern CA Freshwater Fishing Report

Lake Berryessa’s back and kokanee are big! Salmon biting on Trinity River Western Outdoor News StaffPublished: Jul 05, 2012

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Berryessa’s back and kokanee are big! BY ROBIN WADE WON Staff Writer NAPA — After a few weeks of “work” for anglers wanting some of Lake Berryessa’s famous kokanee trout, the bite’s back and anglers found easy limits including lots of big kokes. “Berryessa is fishing really well right now with a lot of big fish coming in,” Troy Barr of T-Roy’s Guide Service said. “On Monday we had a mixture of three different winds hit us and we still managed to get good limits by noon for Mike and Vladick Sutherland; who had won my donation trip from the Deaf Sturgeon Derby. Sutherland’s 12-year-old son, Vladick, even managed a 19-inch kokanee on this trip around the Big Island area.” Barr said the rest of the week was wide open with big limits coming from the main lake from 48 to 62 feet deep. “The fish are starting to go into their summer pattern and a few of the males are starting to get a little cured nose,” he said. “You can find the fish in 80 to 100 feet of water in the afternoon fishing in the 55- to 60-foot range around this time. According to JD from JD Richey Sportfishing, bass anglers are doing well on top in the mornings and then dropping down with drop-shot gear or Senkos during the day. BERRY BEST — WON Field Reporter Andre Fontenot of San Bruno fished Lake Berryessa recently, and caught his largest kokanee of the season, an 18½ incher that hit a pink glow Apex with a Hyper Plaid RMT dodger at 52 feet at the Ranch House. The rest of his limit were 17-inch kokes and an 18-inch rainbow. Flows dropping, salmon biting on Trinity River BY JIM JONES WON Staff Writer JUNCTION CITY — The Trinity River is continuing to drop at 100 cfs a day, from below the 2,000 cfs release from Lewiston Dam over the weekend, and that has resulted in guides being able to access some of the kings salmon now in the upper river. Dave Jacobs of Professional Guide Service said that he’s been continuing to get one or two salmon a day and the combination of dropping flows, and pods of salmon moving up the river daily is a sure fire bet that fishing is only going to continue to get better and better as the river approaches its summer flow of 400 cfs. He said that salmon are being caught farther downstream around Burnt Ranch, as well. These salmon are in as high quality, prime condition as one will find in fresh water, even though they are well over a hundred miles from the ocean. They are dime bright on the outside and bright red on the inside. Bob Schlick from Cupertino caught 9 and 11 pounders on a brass Brad’s Killer Fish around Junction City while fishing with Jacobs.  He’s been scoring on back-bounced Pautzke-cured roe, as well. Fire restrictions announced in the Tahoe National Forest BY PAT YOUNG WON Staff Writer FORESTHILL — The Foresthill Ranger Station announced that fire restrictions would take effective immediately in the Tahoe National Forest in any area outside a designated Forest Service campground. Open wood or charcoal fires will be prohibited, but propane stoves will be allowed with a USFS fire permit outside designated campsites. “The Tahoe National Forest will impose fire restrictions on wood or charcoal fires in any site outside a USFS designated campground effective July 1,” Sarah Hill at the Foresthill Ranger Station said. “With the late spring rains, there is a lot of fuel on the ground throughout the Sierra and the Forest Service is trying to be proactive in preventing catastrophic fires this summer season.   "Campers in designated campgrounds like those at French Meadows Reservoir and Sugar Pine Reservoir can still have fires without a permit," she said. "Only those campers setting up in non-designated camp sites will be prohibited from having any open wood or charcoal fueled fire, even one in a barbeque. Only propane or gas stoves can be used in non-designated sites and then a USFS fire permit is still required.” For more information on this fire restriction, contact a Tahoe National Forest office in Nevada City, Camptonville, Sierraville, Foresthill, or Truckee. The Foresthill Ranger Station can be reached at (530) 367-2224.