Lake Almanor Fishing Report 4/14/25

Tim Demartile shows off a beautiful hen Smallmouth.

Cool mornings and warm sunny afternoons have been the conditions as of late on Lake Almanor. Runoff flows have increase due to melting snow. The water level has seen a slight uptick currently sitting at four and a half feet from full at 4489.6 ft. Hamilton branch continues to kick out dirty water reducing clarity the closer you get to the mouth.  
The west basin along the peninsula and the west shore has much better water visibility. Water temperatures are currently running in the mid 40’s  in the mornings topping out in the mid 50’s in the afternoons with full sun and little wind. Bug hatches are coming on strong all over the lake and fish tailing at the surface can be seen taking advantage of the fresh food supply. Action for trollers is happening at a variety of locations around the lake, from the dam to Dorado and even up by Big Springs, as the water color has improved so has the bite. Both sides of the peninsula have also been giving up fish as is the west shore from Rocky Point to Almanor West giving anglers plenty of locations to visit. Trout have been caught on a wide variety of offerings, with lots of options for anglers. Worms, plastics and trolling flies along with hardware like spoons and Rapala’s have all been on the menu lately. The fish have branched out, now using more of the water column to hunt for pond smelt and the newly hatching aquatic bugs. The surface to 20 feet seems to be holding the bulk of the active fish. The catch continues to be a mix of more Browns than Bows and a few salmon. The Smallies are active as well. Mountain Bass held a tournament over the weekend and the word was a five fish limit weighing over 21 pounds was in the lead after day one. Those are some big bass! 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. Water access points along the peninsula have also been providing action for anglers throwing Kastmasters or soaking bait. Fly anglers are getting grabs on slow stripped streamers. Traffic on the lake is increasing as we move through spring. The Canyon Dam Boat Ramp is currently open and useable. Looks like we are in for some pretty nice weather conditions, and it is starting to feel like spring. 

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