I have noticed the Smallies getting active out on the lake, recent trolling trips have seen a few with some going over 4 pounds. I reached out to Local Pro Bass Fisherman Mark Pilgrim to get a Bass anglers take on the situation. Please see his response below. 

Well it looks like spring has arrived at Lake Almanor and the Smallmouth fishing is as good as I have ever seen it! The lake temperature is still pretty cool, 46-48 in the main body and 48-51 degrees on the shallow western side. The warm weather this week should push temperatures up into the mid 50’s by next week and the fish will be looking for a place to bed for spring.
It’s really hit and miss right now, I fished Friday and didn’t get a single Smallmouth to eat but had several chasing reaction baits. Saturday I caught 23 fish in less than 5 hours with several missed opportunities all on reaction baits. Smallmouth at Almanor spawn in much colder water than other lakes I’ve fished so keep that in mind while you’re out there. Focus your time looking on shallow flats and warmer coves with small rock points right now as the fish eat heavily to prepare for moving up to spawn. Jerk and rip baits will produce giant baits right now but require a lot of patience. You may only get a few bites but they will be big. White/Red and bright colors will work best in the stained water. Please remember to catch and release during April and May so spawning bass can reproduce successfully.

Thank you, Mark 

While it is raining today, overall, the last week has featured some pretty nice weather. Runoff flows have slowed, and the water level has seen little to no movement lately, currently sitting basically 5 feet from full at 4489 ft. Absent any wind a small amount of surface ice continues to form then melt off once the sun hits it. Water temperatures continue to run in the low to mid 30’s. As in weeks past several areas along the lake’s east shore from the dam to Dorado continue to give up a mix of browns and bows along with the Rec 2 side of the peninsula. Slow trolled worms, plastics and trolling flies are the preferred baits in the 20-to-35-foot range. While the flows are coming down, Hamilton branch continues to kick out dirty water reducing clarity the closer you get to the mouth.  Most of the east basin continues to see reduced visibility. The west basin along the peninsula has much better visibility. Traffic on the lake is lite with a slight bump on the weekends. Bank anglers throwing lures, bait and flies have been working the coves of the west shore with some success as is typical for this time of year. Fly anglers are getting grabs on slow stripped streamers in pond smelt patterns as well as cinnamon colors. The Canyon Dam Boat Ramp is currently open and useable.  The upcoming forecast looks pretty good with only a few slight chances of light precipitation as we wrap up this month. Always be prepared for winter conditions and be safe.

A lot of people working hard behind the scenes, stay tuned for some soon to be released details and information about this year's AFA Veteran's Fishing Day.

It appears February weather train keeps rolling on. The basin has received a mix of both rain and snow the last few days. The lake level currently sits at just under 4489 ft. up about foot in the last week. Water temperatures are running in the low to mid 30’s. Prior to the storm, the light winds and cold overnight temperatures had some surface ice forming on the lake. The wind associated with the incoming front pretty well cleared out the ice on the open water leaving some coves with an ice slush film. We had some beautiful, albeit cold, days on the water prior to the storm’s arrival. As referenced in the last report several areas along the lake’s east shore from the dam to Dorado had been giving up fish along with areas on both the east and west side of the peninsula like Rec 1 and A-frame as well as Rec 2. Slow trolled worms, plastics and trolling flies are the preferred baits in the 20-to-35-foot range. Hamilton branch has seen elevated flows and dirty water reducing water clarity the closer you get to the mouth.  In fact, the whole east basin is heavily stained with reduced visibility. The west basin along the peninsula had much better visibility. Traffic on the lake was very lite to non-existent. No word or sight of bank anglers but this is the time of year where fish will push into the shallows of the west shore. After today it looks like there are some clear days in the forecast for some winter-time trout action. The Canyon Dam Boat Ramp has been plowed and is currently open and useable. Always be prepared for winter conditions and be safe.

Lake Almanor Fishing Report 1/7/25
It appears February is trying to make up for what January lacked. The lake level currently sits at just under 4488 ft. up two and a half feet since the first of the month.
Water temperatures are running in the low to mid 30’s. Yesterday the cove at Rec 1 was more slush than water on the surface. The last few days have seen mostly snow, some substantial winds and a little rain keeping anglers inside and off the lake. Prior to the storms several areas along the lake’s east shore from the dam to Dorado had been giving up fish along with areas on both the east and west side of the peninsula like Rec 1 and A-frame as well as Rec 2. Slow trolled worms, plastics and trolling flies are the preferred baits in the 20 to 35 foot range. Hamilton branch has seen elevated flows and dirty water reducing water clarity the closer you get to the mouth. Hearty bank anglers were seeing some action in the coves of the west shore fishing bait, inflated crawlers seem to be preforming the best. These are all good locations to start your search once the weather clears. According to the Forest Service the Canyon Dam Boat Ramp has been plowed and is currently open and useable. Looks like we may have a few nice days of weather before the next front hits mid-week. Always be prepared for winter conditions and be safe. Photo credit Mike G with a nice pre storm Bow.