 Brian A. shows off a beautiful Almanor Rainbow. With only a few exceptions, mild conditions dominate the days, providing excellent weather for fall fishing. Traffic on the lake is lite. The water level has basically stalled, with very little fluctuation over the last week and currently sits at 4483.2 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 low 50’s and trending down. The trout are spread throughout the entire lake feeding on the pond smelt population. Much of the fishing focus has been on the east shore as well as both sides 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, plastics and trolling flies, 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, 10 to 25 feet. Recent reports mark the 17-22 foot level as productive for quality fish. 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.  Brian A. took advantage of the great fall Almanor bite and landed some great fish including this specimen. 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, and with the fish moving shallower, they are easier targets for the fly crowd. 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, as of today, 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. The Almanor Fishing Association would like to extend a thank you and best wishes to all veterans on this Veterans Day.
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 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.
 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 weather has been a mix of pleasant mornings, flat afternoons and a few afternoon thunderstorms. Traffic on the lake is down as we leave summer behind and move into fall. The water level continues its slow decline of about 1/10 of a foot/day and currently sits at 4483.7 or about 10.5 feet below full pool. Flows on all the lake’s tributaries are at seasonal norms. Water temperature is hovering in the mid 60’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, with localized dense pockets of fish tightly grouped on bait. Find one of these groups and stay on them for some wild bites. Action for trollers is happening at a variety of locations from the dam to Big Springs and the east side of the peninsula. Trout have been caught on a wide variety of offerings recently. 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. Some boats reporting as many as 20 fish per outing, this kind of action has some anglers making unscheduled return trips to the lake to take advantage of the conditions. 35 to 45 feet seems to be holding the bulk of the active fish. The catch is a mixed bag of Rainbows and Browns. Bait fishermen have been netting a few fish at several locations including the dam and east shore around Dorado as well as eastern side of the peninsula. 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. Lots of trout stacked up in Hamilton Branch, enjoying the cooler incoming water. Shore anglers are connecting with some, please pack out what you pack in. This is one of the best late summer early fall bites in recent memory and a cooling forecast should only improve the action.
Thank you to all of our AFA friends and family for helping us with our largest project ever. We now have all new cages to feed and raise our fish for Lake Almanor long into the future. This large investment was only possible with your support. Thank you! A big thank you to Bill Ng at Diamond Fabricators, a local businessman, for his craftsmanship. Please check out the most recent progress pictures below, and for more information about the program Click Here! Click Photos To Enlarge  Janet showing off a chunky Rainbow. Happy Labor Day to everyone. The weather returned to pleasant following days that featured afternoon thunderstorms. The conditions are almost identical to the last report, with little changing out on the water. The water level continues its slow decline of about 1/10 of a foot/day and currently sits at 4486. Flows on all the lake’s tributaries are at seasonal norms. Water temperature is at or near 70. Bug hatches continue in many areas of the lake, but a good number of fish, including trout and Smallies, have shifted their attention back to the lake’s pond smelt population. The trout are now spread throughout the entire lake. With localized dense pockets of fish tightly grouped on bait. Find one of these groups and stay on them for some wild bites. Action for trollers is happening at a variety of locations around the lake, from the dam to Big Springs. Both sides of the peninsula have been giving up fish as well. Trout have been caught on a wide variety of offerings recently. Slow trolled worms and plastics along with fast trolled spoons in bright as well as bait fish patterns have both produced fish this week. 35 to 45 feet seems to be holding the bulk of the active fish. The catch continues to be a mix Rainbows and Browns along with a few salmon. Bait fishermen have been netting a few fish at several locations including the dam and east shore around Dorado as well as eastern side of the peninsula. Fly anglers suspending nymphs under indicators are tempting the fish that are keyed in on the aquatic larvae Bass anglers have been throwing jigs on rocky points and shore lines for smallies keyed in on smelt as their food source. Lots of trout stacked up in Hamilton Branch, enjoying the cooler incoming water. Shore anglers are connecting with some, please pack out what you pack in. Just like the last report, the weatherman is saying our pleasant weather is being replaced with a heat wave beginning today. Though it is Labor Day Weekend, summer seems to be holding on.
 The nice weather has made things comfortable out on the water recently, but that may be coming to an end. The water level continues its slow decline currently sitting at 4487, a drop of about a foot in the last ten days. Flows on all the lake’s tributaries are at seasonal norms. Water temperature is at or near 70. Bug hatches continue in many areas of the lake, but a good number of fish, including trout and Smallies, have shifted their attention back to the lake’s pond smelt population. The trout are now spread throughout the entire lake. With localized dense pockets of fish tightly grouped on bait. Find one of these groups and stay on them for some wild bites. Action for trollers is happening at a variety of locations around the lake, from the dam to Big Springs as well as the area around the mouth of Hamilton Branch. Both sides of the peninsula have also been giving up fish as well. On the west side, from the tip of the peninsula north past Rec 2 and on the east side Rec 1 and A Frame are all prime spots to check. Trout have been caught on a wide variety of offerings recently. Slow trolled worms and plastics even a few trolling flies along with fast trolled spoons in bright as well as bait fish patterns have all produced fish this week. 30 to 45 feet seems to be holding the bulk of the active fish. The catch continues to be a mix Rainbows and Browns along with a few salmon. It has been a little quiet from the “bait guys” over the course of the last week. Fly anglers suspending nymphs under indicators are continuing to hook fish that are keyed in on the aquatic larvae. Bass anglers have been throwing jigs on rocky points and shorelines for smallies keyed in on smelt as their food source. Lots of trout stacked up in Hamilton Branch, enjoying the cooler incoming water. This area can attract a lot of traffic this time of year and anglers are connecting with some fish. Be sensitive to the area and the resource, please pack out what you pack in. The weatherman is saying our pleasant weather is being replaced with a heat wave over the next 5 days or so. This high pressure is also likely to drag in some monsoonal moisture and trigger some thunderstorms in the mountains so be prepared.
 Pleasant summertime conditions have made for some great fishing out on Lake Almanor. Below average temps and an occasional thunder shower have been the weather headlines as of late. The water level continues its slow decline currently sitting at 4488.4 A drop of about a foot in the last several weeks. Flows on all the lake’s tributaries are at seasonal norms. Water temperatures are currently running in the low 70’s ticking up into the mid 70’s during the days. Bug hatches continue in many areas of the lake, even a few hearty Hex Flies continue to pop at various locations around the lake, with fish in those areas still keying in on them as evidenced by the stomach contents of several Rainbows. Some fish including trout and Smallies have shifted their attention back to the lake’s pond smelt population. The trout are now widely spread throughout the entire lake. Action for trollers is happening at many locations around the lake, from the dam to Big Springs as well as the area around the mouth of Hamilton Branch. Both sides of the peninsula have also been giving up fish as are the deeper pockets of the west shore like Rocky Point giving anglers plenty of locations to visit. Trout have been caught on a wide variety of offerings recently. Slow trolled worms and plastics along with fast trolled spoons in bright as well as bait fish patterns have both produced fish this week. 35 to 45 feet seems to be holding the bulk of the active fish. The catch continues to be a mix Rainbows and Browns along with a few salmon. Bait fishermen have been netting a few fish at several locations including the dam and east shore. Suspended baits like worms, crickets and meal worms close to the bottom will get the job done. Fly anglers suspending nymphs under indicators are tempting the fish that are keyed in on the aquatic larvae. Bass anglers have been throwing jigs on rocky points and shorelines for smallies keyed in on smelt as their food source. Lots of trout stacked up in Hamilton Branch. Shore anglers are connecting with some, but timing is everything and the bite can be fickle. The weatherman is calling for a bit of a warming trend but nothing drastic and conditions should stay conducive to maintain the classic summertime fishing.
 Jon Curnow of Quincy's Grocery Outlet, on his birthday, rocking his AFA gear with a nice Rainbow. John and his wife Amanda not only sponsored all of the drinks for this year's Veteran's Fishing event, but they also showed up and volunteered to help run the event. Thank you to Jon, Amanda and Quincy Grocery Outlet we couldn't do it without your community support. To sum up the recent conditions here at the lake in one word, that word would be hot. Air temps have been running above average for the last week with not much in the way of cooling breezes. Traffic on the lake has returned to normal summertime levels, lighter on the weekdays with increases over weekends. The water level continues its slow decline currently sitting just above 4489.5 A drop of about 6 inches in the last several weeks. Flows on all the lake’s tributaries are at seasonal norms. Water temperatures are currently running in the low 70’s ticking up into the mid 70’s during the days. Bug hatches continue all over the lake, albeit at a slower pace, with the Hex Fly activity being all but finished for the year while a few stragglers continue to make it to the surface. Some fish including trout and Smallies have shifted their attention back to the lake’s pond smelt population. The trout are now widely spread throughout the entire lake. The recent spike in temperatures have the fish seeking the deeper cooler waters of the lake. Action for trollers is happening at a variety of locations, from the dam to Big Springs as well as the area around the mouth of Hamilton Branch. Both sides of the peninsula have also been giving up fish as are the deeper pockets of the west shore like Rocky Point giving anglers plenty of locations to visit. Trout have been caught on a wide variety of offerings recently. Slow trolled worms and plastics along with fast trolled spoons in bright as well as dark colors and bait fish patterns have all produced fish this week. 35 to 45 feet seems to be holding the bulk of the active fish. The catch continues to be a mix Rainbows and Browns along with a few salmon. Bait fishermen have been netting a few fish at numerous locations including the dam, east shore and Rocky Point. Suspended baits like worms, crickets and meal worms close to the bottom will get the job done. Fly anglers suspending nymphs under indicators are tempting the fish that are keyed in on the aquatic larvae. Bass anglers have been throwing jigs on rocky points and shorelines for smallies keyed in on smelt as their food source. We are currently seeing a welcomed cooling trend which will make things more comfortable out on the water, in the meantime pack plenty of water and sunscreen.
Coming up on July 26 will be AFA’s 32nd annual Founders’ Family BBQ and Fundraiser. This is the most popular fundraising event held each year in the Almanor Basin. This is our one blow out fundraiser for the year and you support helps fund our programs like raising fish in our Fish Pens, Veteran's Fishing, Youth Fishing, Scholarships and our other community programs around the basin. The deadline to get your tickets will be when it is sold out or Monday 7/21 whichever comes first. Tickets are available at LACC Sugar Pine Lounge, Sierras Fly and Tackle at Hamilton Branch, AFA board Members and online at Founders' BBQ - Almanor Fishing Association |
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