Collins Lake Fishing Report | January 7, 2026
The report at a glance
Depth
Shallow. Cal got both hookups the day before at 10 feet, and has been catching fish from about 0 to 10 feet deep.
Presentation
Trolling has outproduced bait. A gold 6 inch Catch America dodger ahead of a threaded night crawler with garlic Power Eggs, but the number one bait has been a plain white standard-size Trout Trix minnow rigged with an action disc. Target 1.8 mph, slowed to 1.5 to 1.6 mph with a bucket drogue.
Lures and baits
The white Trout Trix minnow led the way. Fish also came on PowerBait mixed with Power Powder and slathered with Trigger Scent, though bait was not the top producer.
Water temperature
52 degrees
Water clarity
About 30 inches of visibility after the lake cleaned up
Water level
The lake is full and spilling.
Weather
A wet, rainy foothill stretch that at one point dropped 40 straight hours of rain.
Advice for this week
In cold water, fish white. Trout are feeding on small white baitfish, so a plain white Trout Trix minnow is hard to beat. If your slowest troll still feels too fast, toss a 5 gallon bucket off the bow to drag your speed down to about 1.5 mph.
What is changing
The lake is full and spilling, which has cleaned it up to about 30 inches of visibility, far better than a week earlier.
Next week
As the lake keeps clearing after the spill, expect the shallow white bait troll to keep producing at Collins, and the same program travels well to Folsom and beyond.
Trolling is the best bet at Collins Lake in January 2026. The lake is full and spilling, clearer than it has been, at 52 degrees. Cal Kellogg's number one bait is a plain white Trix Minnow rigged on an action disc, run 0 to 10 feet deep at about 1.5 to 1.8 mph. He is also scoring on a gold 6 inch Catch America dodger paired with a threaded crawler.
What is working at Collins Lake right now?
Trolling beats bait right now. Cal Kellogg's top producer is a plain white standard-size Trix Minnow rigged on an action disc. He is also catching on a gold 6 inch Catch America dodger with a threaded nightcrawler and a couple of garlic Power Eggs.
How deep and how fast should I troll at Collins Lake?
Shallow. Cal got both hookups at about 10 feet, working the 0 to 10 foot zone. He trolls his slowest, about 1.8 mph, and even tossed a 5-gallon bucket off the bow to slow to 1.5 to 1.6 mph, roughly fast kokanee speed, which worked well.
What color trout bait works best at Collins Lake in winter?
White. Cal says white is a great color during the cold water months because trout are feeding on baitfish and a little white minnow swimming along seals the deal. The plain white Trix Minnow has been his number one offering.
What scents is Cal using at Collins Lake?
On the dodger-and-crawler setup he slathers Trigger Scent or Max Gross's WD80 scent, which has a strong sweet anise base. For bait fishing he mixes PowerBait with Power Powder, though bait has not been the best approach.
What are the water conditions at Collins Lake?
The lake is absolutely full and spilling after heavy foothill rain, which cleared the water to about 30 inches of visibility, far better than a week earlier. Water temperature is 52 degrees since the storms have not been very cold.
Watch the full report
Collins Lake January 2026 FAQ
A plain white standard-size Trix Minnow rigged on an action disc has been Cal Kellogg's number one producer.
Shallow, from 0 to about 10 feet. Cal got both of his hookups at roughly 10 feet.
About 1.8 mph, and slowing to 1.5 to 1.6 mph with a bucket drag worked well, roughly fast kokanee speed.
Trolling. Bait on PowerBait mixed with Power Powder and Trigger Scent produced, but trolling was clearly the best approach.
About 52 degrees, since the storms have not dropped it below 50.
Yes. The lake is full and spilling, which cleared visibility to about 30 inches, far better than a week earlier.
A gold 6 inch Catch America dodger paired with a threaded crawler and scent.
