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Lake Almanor Fishing Report | April 2026

Report by Capt. Bryan Roccucci
Bryan Roccucci runs Big Daddy's Guide Service on Lake Almanor and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Shop Bryan Roccucci's tackle.
What is working right now

Lake Almanor is fishing well for browns and rainbows in April, from the surface down to about 25 feet, with a few deep fish in the high 40s on the slow troll. Water sits around 50 degrees with 5 to 6 feet of visibility. Everything mimics the pond smelt. Run Trix Minnows in pearl white scented with Brown Town, plus Trigger Spoons and Junior Optimizers.

What is biting at Lake Almanor right now?

Browns and rainbows in solid numbers, everything from small fish to incredibly large ones. Capt. Bryan Roccucci has fished three different techniques in three days, all producing. The bite stayed good through a warm March and into April.

What depth are the Lake Almanor trout holding?

Target from the surface down to about 25 feet for most fish. A couple days before this report Bryan found deep fish on bait down in the high 40s, which is extremely deep for this time of year, on the slow troll. Watch your sonar and follow the bait.

What lures and colors work at Lake Almanor in April?

Match the pond smelt. Bryan runs plugs, hardware like Trigger Spoons and Junior Optimizers, and soft-plastic Trix Minnows in pearl white. Everything gets Brown Town scent, a minnow-based scent, to match the hatch.

How is Bryan presenting at Lake Almanor?

It is dealer's choice. He mixes plugs, spoons, and soft plastics from the surface to 25 feet, and slow-trolls bait deeper when fish drop into the high 40s. Everything is scented with Brown Town to imitate the pond smelt these fish feed on.

What is the outlook for Lake Almanor?

Bryan calls it just another good spring at Almanor, with the lake healthy, water on the rise, and temps around 50 degrees. He expects the bite to hold. Only a few April dates were left open on his calendar at the time of this report.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Bryan Roccucci): We're seeing solid numbers of browns and rainbows, everything from mild to wild. We're getting basically surface to about 25 feet. We did manage to find some deep fish on bait, down in the high 40s. That was on the slow troll. Everything we're doing is some form of mimicking the pond smelt. The soft plastic Trix Minnows in the pearl white, scented up with Brown Town scent.

Lake Almanor April 2026 FAQ

What depth are trout holding at Lake Almanor in April?

Surface to about 25 feet for most fish, with some deep fish found in the high 40s on the slow troll.

What is the primary food source at Lake Almanor?

Pond smelt. Bryan matches it with pearl white Trix Minnows and Brown Town minnow scent.

What lures work at Lake Almanor now?

Plugs, Trigger Spoons, Junior Optimizers, and pearl white Trix Minnows.

What is the water temperature at Lake Almanor?

Around 50 degrees, with 5 to 6 feet of visibility depending on location.

What scent does Bryan use at Lake Almanor?

Brown Town scent, a minnow-based scent, on everything to match the pond smelt.

Who guides Lake Almanor for Catch America?

Capt. Bryan Roccucci of Big Daddy's Guide Service.

Tags: bryan-roccucci lake-almanor 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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Northwest Oregon Fishing Report | July 2026

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