Don Pedro Fishing Report | August 25, 2025
The report at a glance
Presentation
Fast troll spoons. Add a small dab of gel scent to the back of the spoon so it slowly bleeds scent, but do not overdo it or you will weigh the spoon down. Bend a Popped-Eyed Spoon to tune it for slow, medium, or fast speeds.
Lures and baits
Speed Spoons, Optimizer Juniors, and the often forgotten Popped-Eyed Spoon. Do not overlook the Optimizer Juniors in hot water since these fish chase bigger baits.
Best time
First thing in the morning.
Water temperature
Surface temperature around 80 degrees.
Water clarity
Green tint with about 10 feet of visibility.
Advice for this week
Fish first thing in the morning for the best bite. Just a little gel scent goes a long way, so keep it light on the back of the spoon. Bend the Popped-Eyed Spoon and test your speeds in the water until the action looks right. Fish weekdays for empty water.
Next week
This is an exceptional time of year at Don Pedro with the lake full of bait and light midweek traffic. Expect the fast troll spoon bite to keep producing mixed limits into the fall.
Notable catch
Clean mixed-bag limits, with a Friday and a Saturday trip both finishing by late morning.
Don Pedro is on fire in late August 2025. The water is perfect with a green tint, around 80 degrees on top and clear to about 10 feet. Capt. Monte Smith is trolling spoons fast for limits of rainbows and kings, plus next year's kokanee. Top spoons are the Speed Spoon, Optimizer Junior, and the Popped-Eyed Spoon, all with a touch of gel scent. Fish early, the bite is first thing in the morning.
What is biting at Don Pedro right now?
Rainbows, kings, and next year's kokanee. Capt. Monte Smith has had a tremendous three to four weeks, boating nice mixes of kings and rainbows and finishing with limits by late morning. The lake is loaded with bait, so the fish are chewing on a first-thing-in-the-morning bite.
What are the water conditions at Don Pedro?
The water is perfect with a green tint and clear to about 10 feet on a shark weight. Surface temperature is around 80 degrees, which just pushes the cold water deeper. Weekdays are wide open with only a couple of other boats after the holiday weekend.
What lures are working at Don Pedro in August?
Fast-trolled spoons. Monte is running the Speed Spoon, the Optimizer Junior, and the often-forgotten Popped-Eyed Spoon. He adds just a little gel scent to the back of each spoon so it bleeds slowly in the warm water. Do not overdo the gel or it weighs the spoon down.
How do you fish the Popped-Eyed Spoon?
It comes flat. Put a bend in it on the water and it will run at slow, medium, or fast speeds depending on how you bend it. Play with the bend and watch your speed. Monte says these will put fish in the boat, and do not overlook big baits in hot water.
What is the best time to fish Don Pedro now?
First thing in the morning. The bite has been the first few hours, and Monte gets off the water with limits before it gets too hot. Weekdays are ideal with almost no boat traffic, sometimes only two other boats in the area.
Monte's outlook for Don Pedro
Monte calls this an exceptional time of year with the lake full of bait and an easy morning bite. Expect fast spoon action for rainbows and kings. Exact fishing depths were not specified in this report beyond fishing the cooler water below the warm surface.
Watch the full report
Don Pedro Lake August 25, 2025 FAQ
About 80 degrees on the surface, which pushes the cold water deeper. Clarity is around 10 feet with a green tint.
Speed Spoons, Optimizer Juniors, and the Popped-Eyed Spoon, all trolled fast with a little gel scent on the back.
Just a little gel on the back of the spoon. Too much weighs the spoon down. A small amount bleeds scent slowly in the warm water.
First thing in the morning, the first few hours. Monte finishes with limits before the day gets too hot.
Weekdays. After the holiday weekend there is almost no boat traffic, sometimes only two other boats in the area.
Rainbow trout, king salmon, and next year's kokanee.
Capt. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing, reachable at 209-581-4734.
