Fishermen at Clear Lake are battling 100-degree-plus temperatures and algae blooms. The result is there have been fish die-offs around the lake because of a lack of oxygen in the water. What is strange is that the water in some areas is relatively clear in the morning but turns into pea soup by the afternoon.
The good news for fishermen is there are areas without algae blooms. I checked out the State Park and Lakeside County Park late Wednesday afternoon and the water color there was good with just a slight tinge of green. However, reports coming out of the Glenhaven and Clearlake Oaks show heavy algae blooms. The north end of the lake from Rocky Point to Rodman Slough also has seen some heavy algae blooms as has Library Park in Lakeport.
Overall the bass fishing is still rated good and bags of 15 fish per day are common. The only problem is the bass are only ranging from 1-3 pounds with the occasional 5-pounder. There were reports of a 10-pounder being caught Monday but that’s a rarity. The best areas have been along the Highway 20 shoreline around Pepperwood Cove. Henderson Point is also producing decent number of fish as is the state park.
The Best Bass Tournament (BBT) held Saturday drew 110 boats and it took only 22 pounds to win it. The big fish of the tournament weighed 7.2 pounds. Just about every team weighed in a five-fish limit, but many of those limits weighed only 7 or 8 pounds. BBT will hold another team tournament this Saturday out of Redbud Park in Clearlake. The weigh-in starts at noon.
Most of the bass continue to be caught by drop-shotting a plastic worm or working a Senko back in the tules. Crankbaits such as the LV500 also have been successful, but they have to be retrieved slowly. The topwater action has been limited to early in the mornings or the last hour before dark. A few fishermen are finding success casting a plastic frog to the weed mats.
Crappie and bluegill action has good been off the docks in the Lakeport area and at Lakeside County Park.
Trout fishermen just received some good news as the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DWF) stocked the East Branch of the Russian River this past week. This is the first stocking of the stream in more than a month. The stream is an excellent choice to try for the tasty trout. It has a number of deep holes where the trout hide out. Power bait, salmon eggs and even small crankbaits can be effective. To reach the fishing area take Highway 20 toward Ukiah and turn off at the Potter Valley exit. The fishing starts at the bridge. There are also a number of places where you can park and walk down to the stream.
Upper Blue Lake still hasn’t been stocked by the DWF and the trout action has slowed to a dribble. A few trout are being caught by trollers working at a depth of 25 feet in the middle of the lake. Bank fishing has been slow. The only good news is the bass fishing remains good.
Bass action at Lake Mendocino has been rated good for smallmouth bass. The lake is in perfect condition and most of the fishermen report catching from 10-20 fish per day with a mix of both largemouth and smallmouth.
Indian Valley Reservoir is still kicking out easy limits of bass. The only bad news is most of the bass are on the small size. The lake is in perfect condition and there have been few fishermen. The bass have been holding off the points in 15-30 feet of water. Plastic worms, jigs and crankbaits are the top lures.
