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Collins Lake Fishing Report | August 18, 2025

Report by Capt. Cal Kellogg
Cal Kellogg is a veteran Catch America captain who guides trout on Collins Lake and stripers on the Delta. Shop Cal Kellogg's tackle.
What is working right now

Collins Lake trout are holding in cool water 35 to 45 feet down in August 2025. Troll at 2 mph behind a number 3 dodger with a blue and white Junior Trigger Spoon, a white glow Pinhead Spoon, a white Trix Minnow, or a translucent purple Trix Worm. Bank anglers can mooch garlic green PowerBait over 40-foot marks.

What depth are Collins Lake trout holding in August?

The magic depth is 40 to 45 feet, with baits run anywhere from 35 to about 40 feet down. Capt. Cal Kellogg caught trout on every trip by finding deep water and staying over the marks, since that is where the cool water sits in late summer at Collins Lake.

What lures are working at Collins Lake right now?

Cal caught fish on four lures. A blue and white Junior Trigger Spoon took the lightning trout, a white glow Pinhead Spoon produced steadily, and both a white Trix Minnow and a translucent purple Trix Worm added fish. Small-profile spoons are outfishing bigger ones because the shad are tiny.

How should I rig and troll for Collins Lake trout?

Pull spoons behind a number 3 Chinook dodger with 60 feet of line out at 2 miles per hour. Key speed is 2 mph. Get baits down 35 to 40 feet over deep water. Cal ran the Pinhead Spoon and Junior Trigger Spoon this way. Small profiles match the tiny shad the trout are eating.

Can you catch Collins Lake trout from the bank?

Yes. Fish garlic green PowerBait, the same bait Cal fishes in the dead of winter, but out over deep water. From a boat, find 40-foot marks and drop a 1-ounce sinker so you sit vertical, then mooch the bait 38 to 40 feet down. Bank anglers may also pick up fish at night.

Where is the best area on Collins Lake?

Cal's best water ran from the mouth of the narrows down to the second marina. Work that deep water, stay over the marks, and grind it out. The earlier you get on the water the better, though fish are catchable all day right now.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Cal Kellogg): I trout fished every time I was on the lake and I caught trout on every single trip, and I caught them on four different lures. The magic depth out there right now is 40 to 45 feet. Get your baits down anywhere from 35 to maybe 38, 40 feet deep, 2 miles an hour.

Collins Lake August 18, 2025 FAQ

What is the best trolling speed for Collins Lake trout?

2 miles per hour, with baits down 35 to 40 feet behind a number 3 dodger.

Why are small spoons working better at Collins Lake?

The shad are very tiny right now, so small-profile spoons like the Junior Trigger Spoon and Pinhead outfish traditional-sized spoons.

What color Trix Worm is catching Collins Lake trout?

Translucent purple, fished behind a dodger at 2 mph.

What are Collins Lake trout eating in August?

Primarily plankton, with a few small shad starting to show up in stomachs.

What bank bait works at Collins Lake now?

Garlic green PowerBait fished over deep water, with a 1-ounce sinker to stay vertical over 40-foot marks.

How big are Collins Lake trout right now?

Holdover rainbows up to about 3 pounds and lightning trout up to about 2 pounds.

Tags: cal-kellogg collins-lake rainbow-trout
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Sacramento River Fishing Report | August 1, 2026

Report by Capt. Jeff Goodwin Jeff Goodwin runs Jeff Goodwin Guide Service on the upper Sacramento River and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Reach him at (530) 510-2925 to book a trip. Shop Jeff Goodwin's tackle. What is working right now The upper Sacramento River king salmon season opened August 1, 2026 at the world-famous Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. It was a slow opener with under a dozen fish caught, but Capt. Jeff Goodwin says prime fishing is only 2 to 3 weeks out. His go-to is back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on 10 ounce weights, double-wrapped with fresh sardine and wild prawn. What is biting on the upper Sacramento River right now?King salmon are the target at the Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. August 1, 2026 was the official opener, and Capt. Jeff Goodwin called it a light, slow opener with fewer than a dozen fish caught. His daughter Gracie boxed the first fish. More salmon are arriving as the run builds. What technique is working for Sacramento River king salmon?Back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on the bottom. Jeff runs 10 ounces of weight to reach bottom in the deep water, with 12 to 18 inch droppers and about a 48 inch leader. The lead gets the plugs down where the fish hold since they will not dive that deep alone. How do you wrap plugs for Sacramento River salmon?Double-wrap the plug with fresh sardine and a piece of wild-caught prawn. Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. Start with a loose wrap that keeps the hooks free so you do not tie them to the plug body, then add a couple of wraps on top. More bait draws more bites as long as it does not kill the action. How do you tune a Brad's KillerFish plug?Wrapping bait shifts the center of gravity, so a plug that ran straight can start leaning one way. The fix is the eye: if the plug swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. Test it beside the boat until it dives straight and dances side to side. Out of tune plugs will not get bit. What does massaging the plug mean?It means keeping continuous action on the plug so it never sits dead on the bottom. Pull up on the rod to make the plug dart to one side, then drop the tip so it flutters back. Salmon often hit on that flutter, so be ready for a hard, full-on strike that takes line right away. What is the guide's outlook for the Barge Hole?Jeff says the area is about 2 to 3 weeks out from really good fishing. August, September, and October are the prime months, and a late fall run from November through the end of December produces some of the biggest fish of the season. Eggs, boondogging, and hover fishing come later in the run. Watch the full report From the report (Capt. Jeff Goodwin): One of the favorite techniques for fishing out here in the Barge Hole is to back-bounce Brad's Killerfish. Today, we're using 15s and 16s as far as the size goes. We're running 12 to 18-inch droppers, and then about a 48-inch leader. We're using 10 ounces of weight today because we've got quite a bit of water, and we let out enough line to get down to the bottom. Sacramento River August 1, 2026 FAQ When did the upper Sacramento River salmon season open in 2026?The Barge Hole area opened August 1, 2026. Jeff notes his openers have always been July 16th and August 1st, though an open river does not mean the fishing is great yet. Where is the Barge Hole?On the upper Sacramento River near Anderson and Cottonwood, California, just below where Battle Creek dumps in. Salmon stack here and hold until the first October rains, then turn up Battle Creek to Coleman National Fish Hatchery. What weight do you use to back-bounce at the Barge Hole?Jeff ran 10 ounces of weight on opening day because there was quite a bit of water, letting out enough line to stay on the bottom. What leader and dropper lengths does Jeff Goodwin use?About 12 to 18 inch droppers and roughly a 48 inch leader, sometimes into the 50s. What baits do you wrap on Brad's KillerFish plugs?Fresh sardine and wild-caught prawn are the go-to, and Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. How do you know a plug is tuned correctly?Pull it up toward the bow of the boat. If it stays alongside the boat and dances side to side while diving straight, it is tuned. If it swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. When is the best salmon fishing on the upper Sacramento River?August, September, and October are prime, and a late fall run from November through the end of December brings some of the biggest fish. The opener itself was slow, about 2 to 3 weeks from really good fishing. Who guides the upper Sacramento River Barge Hole?Capt. Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin Guide Service. Call or text (530) 510-2925 to book. Shop the Tackle Brad's KillerFish KF15 Brad's KillerFish KF16 Shop Capt. Jeff Goodwin's Tackle Shop River Salmon Gear

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San Luis Reservoir Fishing Report | July 27, 2026

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Report by Capt. David Johnson David Johnson guides Tillamook Bay and Northwest Oregon for salmon and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Shop David Johnson's tackle. What is working right now Northwest Oregon's July focus is offshore ocean coho with Chinook mixed in, running 1 to 7 miles out with flashers, hoochies, and various lures and baits. Capt. David Johnson still has late spring Chinook in Tillamook Bay as a wind backup. Coastal cutthroat, catch-and-release sturgeon on the Columbia, and halibut round it out, with albacore tuna still about 100 miles out. What is biting in Northwest Oregon right now?Ocean coho with some Chinook mixed in is the main focus, fished 1 to 7 miles offshore. Capt. David Johnson is also still catching late spring Chinook out of Tillamook Bay. Coastal cutthroat, halibut, and catch-and-release sturgeon on the Columbia are all available too. Where are the salmon holding off Northwest Oregon?Offshore, usually 1 to 7 miles out for the coho and mixed Chinook. That ocean fishery is dictated by wind, so when David gets blown off he has a backup fishing inside Tillamook Bay for the springers. He follows the wind and the fish. What are anglers using off Northwest Oregon?For the offshore coho and Chinook, flashers with various lures and baits, including hoochies. Inside the bay he targets the late springers. Guys also run bottom-fish and halibut trips. No specific Catch America product was named in this report. What about tuna and other species?Albacore tuna are just starting to get close but average about 100 miles out. When they push into the 30 to 40 mile range, sport anglers start getting albacore. There is also excellent catch-and-release sturgeon fishing on the Columbia River and fun coastal cutthroat. What is the outlook for Northwest Oregon?Ocean coho is the main play, with spring Chinook as the plan B when wind allows, plus cutthroat for fun. David plans more on the cutthroat later. Halibut and eventually albacore add to the July and summer mix along the coast. Watch the full report From the report (Capt. David Johnson): We're still catching some late spring chinook out of Tillamook Bay, and our main focus is going to be fishing out offshore. We're going to be catching coho with some chinook mixed in, usually running out 1 to 7 miles offshore and fishing with flashers and various lures and baits, hoochies. The tuna are just starting to get close enough, but they're still probably on average 100 miles out. Northwest Oregon July 2026 FAQ What is the main July fishery in Northwest Oregon?Ocean coho with Chinook mixed in, 1 to 7 miles offshore. Are spring Chinook still available in Northwest Oregon?Yes, late spring Chinook are still being caught inside Tillamook Bay as a wind backup. How far out are the albacore tuna?On average about 100 miles out, with sport anglers getting them once they push to 30 to 40 miles. What else can you catch in Northwest Oregon in July?Coastal cutthroat, halibut and bottom fish, and catch-and-release sturgeon on the Columbia River. What baits are used offshore?Flashers with various lures and baits, including hoochies. Who guides Northwest Oregon for Catch America?Capt. David Johnson, a Catch America pro-staff captain. Shop the Tackle Shop Capt. David Johnson's Tackle Shop Salmon Gear

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