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Lake Almanor Fishing Report | August 4, 2025

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 trout are keyed on pond smelt in early August 2025, holding 30 to 45 feet on the downriggers along the east basin. Match the hatch with soft plastic Trout Trix Minnows and grubs scented with Brown Town. Browns pushed close to 10 pounds and rainbows topped 6.

What is biting at Lake Almanor right now?

Rainbow and brown trout are feeding hard on pond smelt across the east basin and the eastern side of the peninsula. Capt. Bryan Roccucci landed browns just short of 10 pounds and rainbows over 6 pounds this week, with 4 and 5 pound fish not uncommon.

What depth are the trout holding at Lake Almanor?

Run your baits on downriggers from 30 to 45 feet, adjusting to the water you are fishing. The trout are chasing pond smelt in that band, so get down into the cooler water where the fish and the bait are stacked together.

What lures are working at Lake Almanor in August?

Match the hatch with minnow imitations. Bryan is running soft plastic grubs and Trout Trix Minnows scented with a minnow-based Brown Town scent to push scent through the water column. Specific colors were not called out in this report.

How is Bryan rigging and presenting at Lake Almanor?

Slow-troll minnow-imitating soft plastics on downriggers set 30 to 45 feet down, right where the smelt-eating trout are holding. Scent everything with Brown Town for extra draw. These are minnow-eating fish, so give them minnow-imitating presentations and keep them in the strike zone.

What is the outlook for Lake Almanor?

Bryan expects the summertime bite to continue through August as the trout keep hunting deeper, cooler water while waiting for the fall cool-down. Water temps are in the low 70s, around 71 degrees, with calm mornings and occasional afternoon breezes or thundershowers.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Bryan Roccucci): We're running a lot of soft plastics, both soft plastic grubs and the Trout Trix minnows. We're scenting those up with a minnow-based scent called Brown Town. Running those baits down on the downriggers anywhere from about 30 to about 45 feet right now. This week, we've seen browns to just short of 10 pounds and rainbows over 6 pounds.

Lake Almanor August 4, 2025 FAQ

What depth should I fish at Lake Almanor in August?

Downriggers from 30 to 45 feet, matching the depth to the water you are fishing and the pond smelt schools the trout are chasing.

What are the trout eating at Lake Almanor?

Large schools of pond smelt. Match the hatch with minnow-imitating soft plastics like grubs and Trout Trix Minnows.

How big are the trout at Lake Almanor right now?

Browns to just short of 10 pounds (a 9.5 pound fish) and rainbows over 6 pounds, with 4 and 5 pound fish common.

What is the water temperature at Lake Almanor?

Surface temps are in the low 70s, about 71 degrees, with a warming trend, calm mornings, and afternoon breezes.

What scent works for Lake Almanor trout?

A minnow-based scent. Bryan uses Brown Town to put scent in the water for the smelt-eating trout to follow.

Where are the fish holding on Lake Almanor?

In the east basin, along the east shore, and the eastern side of the peninsula where the pond smelt are schooling.

Who guides Lake Almanor for Catch America?

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

Tags: bryan-roccucci lake-almanor rainbow-trout
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San Luis Reservoir Fishing Report | July 27, 2026

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