Collins Lake Fishing Report | April 2026
The report at a glance
Depth
About 15 to 30 feet, with 20 to 22 feet a good bet for the mean depth. Deepest fish this week came from about 34 feet.
Presentation
Trolled soft plastics and trolling flies, changing colors every day, at a target speed of 2 mph.
Lures and baits
Soft plastics and trolling flies, with color rotated daily to match what the fish wanted.
Water temperature
About 67 degrees
Water level
Only about a foot down from maximum pool.
Weather
A run of warm days pushed the surface temperature up, with a little weather due in over the weekend that should suppress it slightly.
Advice for this week
Rotate colors daily until you find the pattern. Keep the troll around 2 mph. Expect the trout to keep dropping deeper as surface temps climb. For reference, on his last trip out here last year on July 30 Cal had seven trout for two anglers on a very hot day.
What is changing
With the warming surface, the trout have dropped down in the water column.
Next week
As April gives way to May, Cal expects the surface temperature to keep rising and the trout to move deeper and deeper. He expects the fishing to hold up indefinitely, setting up a good late spring and summer.
Collins Lake is in high gear for spring trout in April 2026. Surface temps are about 67 degrees and the trout have dropped to 15 to 30 feet, with a mean depth around 20 to 22 feet and a deepest fish at 34. Cal Kellogg trolls soft plastics and trolling flies at 2 mph, changing colors daily. The lake sits about a foot from full, heavily planted, and the bite should hold up into summer as fish move deeper.
What is biting at Collins Lake right now?
Trout, and the bite has kicked into high gear this spring. Cal Kellogg is trolling soft plastics and trolling flies, changing colors every day. Warm days have pushed the surface temperature to about 67 degrees, and the trout have dropped down in the water column.
What depth are the Collins Lake trout holding at?
Down from the surface. Best depths are about 15 to 30 feet, with a mean depth of 20 to 22 feet. Cal's deepest fish this week came at about 34 feet. As the water warms he expects the trout to keep dropping deeper toward the 35 to 40 foot summer range.
What speed and presentations work at Collins Lake in April?
Cal trolls at a target speed of 2 mph, running soft plastics and trolling flies with colors that change every day. Experiment with color daily, since there is no single best pattern, and let the fish tell you what they want as conditions shift.
What are the water conditions at Collins Lake?
The lake is exceptionally healthy, only about a foot down from maximum pool, with lots of bait, plankton, and fish. Surface temperature is around 67 degrees, though a little weather coming in should suppress it slightly for a few days.
What is the Collins Lake outlook into summer?
Strong and long-lasting. Heavy plants are still underway, so Cal expects the trout fishing to hold up indefinitely, with fish simply moving deeper. Last summer he was targeting 35 to 40 feet, and he expects a good late spring and summer this year.
Watch the full report
Collins Lake April 2026 FAQ
About 15 to 30 feet, with a mean depth of 20 to 22 feet and a deepest fish at 34.
A target speed of 2 miles per hour.
About 67 degrees, with a little weather expected to suppress it slightly.
Soft plastics and trolling flies, with colors changed every day.
About a foot down from maximum pool, and exceptionally healthy.
Yes. Cal expects it to hold up indefinitely as the trout move deeper.
Around 35 to 40 feet, based on Cal's fishing last year.
