Lake Almanor Fishing Report | April 2026
The report at a glance
Depth
Surface to about 25 feet is the main zone. Some deep fish came on bait in the high 40s a couple days ago on the slow troll, extremely deep for this time of year.
Presentation
Everything is about mimicking the pond smelt, still the primary forage. Bryan ran plugs, hardware and spoons up in the water column and soft plastics down lower.
Lures and baits
Trigger Spoon.
Optimizer Junior.
Trix Minnows in pearl white scented with Brown Town. Bryan runs that minnow-based scent on everything to match the hatch.
Water temperature
Around 50 degrees and easing down with the wind and precipitation.
Water clarity
Visibility runs 5 to 6 feet.
Water level
The level is rising slightly.
Weather
April brought heavy rain and even a little forecast snow in the basin, with wind and precipitation.
Advice for this week
Match the pond smelt. Run a minnow-based scent on all your gear and let the forage dictate color and profile.
What is changing
March ran unseasonably warm and pushed bug hatches several weeks early. April brought heavy rain and a little forecast snow, easing water temps down. The level is rising slightly, and Hamilton Branch is running clean after flows were choked off at Mountain Meadows Reservoir.
Next week
The storms have things feeling like a normal spring again. Expect the strong brown and rainbow bite to carry into May.
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
Lake Almanor April 2026 FAQ
Surface to about 25 feet for most fish, with some deep fish found in the high 40s on the slow troll.
Pond smelt. Bryan matches it with pearl white Trix Minnows and Brown Town minnow scent.
Plugs, Trigger Spoons, Junior Optimizers, and pearl white Trix Minnows.
Around 50 degrees, with 5 to 6 feet of visibility depending on location.
Brown Town scent, a minnow-based scent, on everything to match the pond smelt.
Capt. Bryan Roccucci of Big Daddy's Guide Service.
