French Meadows Reservoir Fishing Report | November 2025
The report at a glance
Presentation
Fish soft plastic worms near structure and let the fish eat. Cal ran a yellow braid as a visual strike indicator, watched the line, and reeled tight with no hard hookset. When fish showed on the surface nearby, he moved and cast to them.
Lures and baits
Soft plastic worms, fished slow near boulders and stumps.
Cal fished the Catch America trout spinning rod, a medium-action stick with backbone to control a big trout out of the rocks.
Water temperature
Around 32 degrees
Advice for this week
Stay observant. Watch for rising fish, birds working bait, and wind pushing bait into a bank. Adjust your cast distance a little longer or shorter until you find them. A little further was the ticket on this trip.
Next week
Cold water and pre-winter browns coming back after the spawn make this a strong window. Expect the bite to hold on calm days as the season pushes deeper into winter.
Notable catch
Cal Kellogg landed long, lean pre-winter rainbow trout.
Bank fishing is on fire at French Meadows Reservoir in November 2025. Cal Kellogg and Nate limited on rainbows and browns fishing bait from a rocky point where shallow flats meet the main channel. The water is a frigid 32 degrees. Vary your cast distance to find the right drop, watch for rising fish, and fish the new Catch America 7 foot 6 inch Spinning Rod Cal designed for trout.
What is biting at French Meadows Reservoir right now?
Rainbows and browns, and the bite came fast. Cal Kellogg and Nate limited out bank fishing bait from a rocky point. One cast got hit within 10 seconds. Fish were feeding tight to structure where shallow flats meet the main river channel.
Where should I bank fish at French Meadows Reservoir?
On a point that divides shallow feeding flats from the main channel, near submerged stumps and rock. French Meadows was a logged meadow before it was dammed on the Middle Fork of the American River tributaries, so structure is everywhere. Trout patrol these edges hunting forage.
What is the key bank fishing tip at French Meadows?
Vary your cast distance to find the productive drop. Nate got bit on a longer 8-second drop when a 4-second drop nearby was slower. Watch for rising fish and move to them. Nate spotted four fish rise 20 feet away, cast over, and hooked a brown two minutes later.
What rod is Cal using at French Meadows?
The new Catch America Spinning Rod, a 7 foot 6 inch fiberglass, medium-action rod Cal designed for bank fishing trout. Its soft cork grips, forgiving tip, and stout mid-section cushion the fight while giving enough backbone to control a 6 to 10-pound trout.
What are the conditions at French Meadows Reservoir?
Cold. The water is about 32 degrees, so the fish are cold-water hungry and fry up as excellent eating. Expect snaggy rock, so work fish out carefully rather than breaking off, and use a high, tight line to track the bite like a strike indicator.
Watch the full report
French Meadows Reservoir November 2025 FAQ
Rainbows and browns on bait, with a fast bank bite off a rocky point.
About 32 degrees.
A point dividing shallow flats from the main channel, near stumps and rock structure.
Vary cast distance to find the right drop, and move to rising fish.
The Catch America 7 foot 6 inch fiberglass medium-action Spinning Rod he designed.
It was a logged meadow before being dammed, leaving stumps and rock throughout.
Tributaries of the Middle Fork of the American River.
