 Prior to this most recent storm, which brought wind and rain to the Almanor basin, the weather and fishing was fantastic. Conditions are expected to improve as the front moves out and fall fishing should resume. Traffic on the lake has relatively lite, seeing a few spikes as some regular groups of boats show up to take advantage of the fall bite. The water level has basically stalled, with very little fluctuation over the last week and currently sits at 4483.50 or about 10.5 feet below full pool. Flows on all the lake’s tributaries are at seasonal norms. Water temperature is now holding in the mid 50’s and trending down. For anglers, the recent story is all about fish feeding on the lake’s pond smelt population. The trout are spread throughout the entire lake but much of the focus has been on the east shore and the east side of the peninsula. Some pockets of fish on the west shore have been providing action as well. Trout have been caught on a wide variety of offerings recently for the trollers. Slow trolled worms and plastics along with fast trolled spoons in bright as well as bait fish patterns have all produced fish over the course of the last week. The cooler water temps have opened up the entire water column to the fish which now can be caught at all depths from the surface down. The catch is a mixed bag of Rainbows and Browns. Smaller aggressive Rainbows have moved into some areas and will need to be picked through to get the nicer fish. Remember to release these smaller guys responsibly, they are future big fish. Bait fishermen have been netting a few fish at several locations of the west shore. Again, the cooler water temps have the fish moving in close. Fly anglers suspending flies under indicators as well as stripping pond smelt imitating flies on sinking lines are tempting the fish focused on the forage minnows. Canyon Dam boat ramp is open and should continue to be available throughout the winter subject to access being blocked by snowfall. The USFS west shore ramp north of Prattville is currently open but look for this dock to be pulled and ramp to be closed at any time. As always, keep an eye to the weather and be prepared for changing conditions.
0 Comments
 I have been getting a few questions as to what is going on with the bass bite currently at Lake Almanor, so I reached out to local pro Mark Pilgrim to get his take on it.
Well, here we are fully into fall which feels like early winter. As Amazing the trout bite has been on Lake Almanor, I would like to tell you the Bass bite has been the same. Early October we had a little cold front that pushed the feeding bass out into deeper cooler waters just as it does every November. I don’t know if all of the apples on my tree are trying to tell me something, but I feel that we are three to four weeks ahead of our normal cycle for 2025 and the Bass are following suit. They have transitioned to wintertime feeding and are focusing more on crawdads and less on the bait. It’s tough to find schools of bass right now with the thousands of 12” trout covering the surface, but if you look at offshore structure (island tops, rock piles) you will definitely find active feeding bass getting ready for winter. Best baits to throw right now, the dreaded drop shot, jigs and spoons! As I have said in the past, when you catch a bass in 15-25 feet of water don’t just move on, these fish are grouped up tight and will feed together in late fall. If you catch one you will catch several! The water temperatures have dropped into the 50’s now and the bass are getting fat, If you can find some, they are very strong and super fun to catch. Have an amazing time fishing Almanor, please feel free to follow my socials or send a message if you would like to book a trip next spring. Thank you, Mark Pilgrim www.markpilgrimproangler.com [email protected] 530-249-3810  The weather has thrown a few curve balls at the lake over the last week. The top of Mt. Lassen has been covered with a white dusting in recent days. We have seen some rain and several days with high winds, shaking things up. Water in some areas turned murky, stirred by the big blows. Traffic on the lake has been lite. The water level has basically stalled, with very little fluctuation over the last week and currently sits at 4483.65 or about 10.5 feet below full pool. Flows on all the lake’s tributaries are at seasonal norms. Water temperature has gone sub 60 degrees and now holds in the upper 50’s. For anglers, the recent story is all about fish feeding on the lake’s pond smelt population. The trout are spread throughout the entire lake but much of the focus has been on the east shore and the east side of the peninsula. Trout have been caught on a wide variety of offerings recently for the trollers. Slow trolled worms and plastics along with fast trolled spoons in bright as well as bait fish patterns are some of the most popular options. Anglers have also seen success on trolling flies and Rapalas in recent days. The cooler water temps have opened up the water column to the fish which now can be caught at all depths from the surface down. The catch is a mixed bag of Rainbows and Browns and some smaller aggressive Rainbows have moved into areas and will need to be picked through to get the nicer fish. Remember to release these smaller guys responsibly, they are future big fish. Bait fishermen have been netting a few fish at several locations of the west shore. Again, the cooler water temps have the fish moving in close. Fly anglers suspending flies under indicators as well as stripping pond smelt imitating flies on sinking lines are tempting the fish focused on the forage minnows. Things feel like fall is definitely here and the weatherman says we have a few additional fronts moving through in the week ahead so keep and eye on the forecast and be prepared.
|
The AuthorAFA Admin 
AFA Sponsors
Archives
December 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed
|
Copyright 2025 by Almanor Fishing Association. All Rights Reserved. |