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Don Pedro Lake Fishing Report | November 2025

Report by Capt. Monte Smith
Monte Smith runs Gold Country Sport Fishing and guides Don Pedro Reservoir for Catch America. Shop Monte Smith's tackle.
What is working right now

Don Pedro is a great fall fishery in November 2025, with the lake rising from storms and seriously clear water. Capt. Monte Smith caught fish down to 75 feet on lead core, biting nonstop on the new Optimizer Junior in electric banana plus soft plastics, along with a king salmon. Surface temps cooled about 5 degrees to around 60. Run the Optimizer Junior at 2 to 3 mph.

How is the fishing at Don Pedro right now?

Great. Capt. Monte Smith had a Catch America crew out and the fish were biting nonstop in November 2025. They caught a lot of fish on the new Optimizer Junior and some on soft plastics, plus a king salmon. There is hardly anyone on the water, making it a great time to fish.

What depth are the fish holding at Don Pedro in November?

Down to 75 feet. Monte caught fish that deep on lead core, which tells him the lake has not turned over yet and the thermocline is still very deep. The bigger fish are down there, holding away from the smaller planters that make up much of the lake.

What lures are working at Don Pedro right now?

The new Optimizer Junior, which is half the weight of the original and really produced, especially the electric banana color. Monte also ran soft plastics for a few fish. He caught most of the morning's fish on lead core over several hours.

How fast should you troll the Optimizer Junior?

Monte says it is versatile: you can run it at 2 miles per hour, 3 miles per hour, or a little slower. There are also brand new colors out. He caught fish at a range of speeds this trip and calls the Optimizer Junior a must-have for the Don Pedro fall fishery.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Monte Smith): We had a Catch America crew out trying out some new lures, soft plastics, and mainly the new Optimizer Junior. It's half its weight, so it really produced. The electric banana caught a lot of fish. We caught fish down to 75 feet today, so that tells me the lake has not turned over yet. The water has cooled off about 5 degrees, so it's down to about 60 on the surface. You can go 2 miles an hour, you can go 3 miles an hour.

Don Pedro Reservoir November 2025 FAQ

What is biting at Don Pedro in November 2025?

Rainbow trout biting nonstop plus a king salmon, per Capt. Monte Smith.

What depth are Don Pedro fish holding in November?

Down to 75 feet on lead core, where the bigger fish are holding.

What lure is working best at Don Pedro right now?

The new Optimizer Junior, especially the electric banana color.

What trolling speed works for the Optimizer Junior?

Anywhere from 2 to 3 miles per hour, or a little slower.

What is the water temperature at Don Pedro in November?

About 60 degrees on the surface, down roughly 5 degrees, with seriously clear water.

Has Don Pedro turned over yet?

No. Catching fish down to 75 feet tells Monte the lake has not turned over and the thermocline is deep.

Tags: don-pedro-lake monte-smith 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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