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Lake Almanor Fishing Report | March 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 in fantastic shape in March, with fantastic numbers of browns and rainbows keyed on pond smelt. Capt. Bryan Roccucci is toplining from the surface down to 25, even 30 feet, running Trout Trix Minnows scented with Brown Town to match the bait. Water is in the mid-40s and rising, and the lake sits about 5 feet from full.

What is biting at Lake Almanor right now?

Browns and rainbows in fantastic numbers, from heavy browns and midsize browns to a lot of nice rainbows and some smaller ones. Capt. Bryan Roccucci says the lake is healthy and fishing as good as it gets for early spring.

What depth are the Lake Almanor trout holding?

Best target depths are the surface down to about 25 and even 30 feet, depending on where the sport fish have the bait corralled. On flat, sunny days the fish may slide a little deeper, so watch your sonar and drop down when needed.

What lures and scent work at Lake Almanor in March?

The fish are feeding exclusively on pond smelt, so there is no better imitation than Trout Trix Minnows. Bryan sets them up with Brown Town scent to mimic the minnow, whether toplining plugs or trolling the soft plastics.

How is Bryan presenting at Lake Almanor?

Toplining is his preferred method this time of year, running plugs and soft plastics up high. When fish slide deeper on flat conditions he switches to deeper-diving plugs or drops down on the downriggers, keeping Brown Town scent on everything.

What is the outlook for Lake Almanor?

Bright. Water is coming up about a tenth of a foot a day, sitting about 5 feet from full, with temps in the mid-40s. Bryan expects the spring bite to keep going, and once the rainbows finish spawning they come back hot. Warm weather may spark early bug hatches.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Bryan Roccucci): Lake Almanor is in fantastic shape right now. Water temp running mid-40s. We continue to see fantastic numbers of fish out here, still a mix of browns and rainbows. These fish are feeding exclusively on pond smelt, there's no better imitation than some Trout Tricks minnows. We're setting them up right now with the Brown Town scent. Best target depths have been anywhere between the surface all the way down to about 25 and even 30 feet.

Lake Almanor March 2026 FAQ

What depth are trout holding at Lake Almanor in March?

Surface down to about 25 and even 30 feet, depending on where the bait is corralled.

What are Lake Almanor trout feeding on?

Pond smelt, matched with Trout Trix Minnows and Brown Town scent.

What is the best technique at Lake Almanor in early spring?

Toplining plugs and soft plastics, dropping to deeper-diving plugs or downriggers when fish slide deeper.

What is the water temperature at Lake Almanor in March 2026?

Mid-40s, rising with warm weather, with the lake about 5 feet from full.

What soft plastic works at Lake Almanor?

Trout Trix Minnows scented with Brown Town to imitate pond smelt.

Who guides Lake Almanor for Catch America?

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

Tags: brown-trout bryan-roccucci lake-almanor
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Sacramento River Fishing Report | August 1, 2026

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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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