The long holiday weekend will see a lot of fishermen on the lake. Memorial Day is always popular with fishermen. There are no major tournaments scheduled for the long weekend , but there will be several bass club tournaments.
Crappie action has slowed a little. Actually, the crappie action has shifted. Last week the State Park was the hot spot but the fishing has slowed considerably this week. A few crappie are being caught at Library Park in Lakeport and in the waters around the Lakeside County Park. The docks near the ramp in Lucerne are also kicking decent numbers of crappie.
Catfish action is rated as fair. The Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven catfish derby held over the weekend didn’t produce a lot of catfish. But overall the derby was a huge success with all the fishermen happy. The derby drew a total of 894 contestants and they came from around the country.
Trout action at the East Branch of the Russian River has slowed to a crawl for the simple reason the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) has only stocked the stream once since the opener nearly a month ago. In past years the DFW would stock the stream weekly during the first weeks of the season. It’s all part of a DFW policy to save money and it’s not going over well with local fishermen.
A few trout are being caught at Upper Blue Lake but that lake also hasn’t been stocked in nearly a month. The best action has been for trollers working the middle of the lake.
Lower Blue Lake is loaded with large bass but the lake receives very little fishing pressure. The reason being is that you can’t launch a boat on the lake. A few fishermen use a float tube or kayaks and they catch bass that will often top 8 pounds.
Lake Pillsbury has been providing fair trout action and good bass fishing. The lake holds some huge bass. Years ago the DFW stocked Lake Pillsbury with bass taken from Clear Lake.
Indian Valley Lake has been providing decent bass fishing and also giving up a few trout. The road going into the lake is in good shape although a little dusty.
For those with a small boat or kayak , Highland Springs Reservoir and Adobe Reservoir and both excellent bass fishing lakes. They are located just outside of Lakeport and are great areas to cast a topwater lure or plastic worm. some of the bass will weigh up to 5 pounds or more.
The Mendocino National Forest will see a lot of activity this weekend as the trails are opn and off roaders will be out in force.
For those seeking adventure than a trip up to Snow Mountain is a great trip. The mountain has a couple of feet of snow and some locals even go skiing there.
