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Lake Almanor Fishing Report | October 6, 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 and holding 30 to 40 feet, with some moving shallow to 20 to 25 feet as water cools past 60 degrees. On windy days, fast-troll Trigger Spoons or Junior Optimizers on Brown Town scent. When fish group up, switch to a trimmed Trix Minnow. The bite swings from slow to red hot in a day.

What is biting at Lake Almanor right now?

Trout, keyed heavily on the lake's pond smelt. Capt. Bryan Roccucci reports the bite has been unsettled after weather fronts with rain and thundershowers, ranging from slow to red hot all in the same day. Fish usually turn on at some point during the trip.

What depth are the trout at Lake Almanor?

Mainly 30 to 40 feet down, whether fishing fast or slow. Bryan is also starting to pick up fish shallow, at 20 and 25 feet, as cooler water pushes trout a little higher in the column. Watch for smelt getting chased out of the water.

What lures and colors are working at Lake Almanor?

On windy days, fast-troll Trigger Spoons and Junior Optimizers scented with Brown Town. When fish tighten up, switch to the slow program with Trix Minnows, trimmed a quarter to half inch to match the pond smelt, also on Brown Town scent.

How is Bryan deciding fast versus slow at Lake Almanor?

He lets conditions dictate. Windy periods call for the fast presentation with spoons. When conditions calm or fish are tightly grouped, he goes slow with a size-matched Trix Minnow. Both programs get the Brown Town scent treatment.

What is the outlook for Lake Almanor?

Bryan expects the smelt-focused bite to continue as water keeps cooling and trout feel better and move higher. Lake level is slowly declining on the fall drawdown. Water temperature is just over 60 degrees. Exact clarity was not specified in this report.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Bryan Roccucci): When we're having to fish the windy days, we're going with the fast presentation, the Trigger Spoons, the Optimizer Juniors, scent it up with that Brown Town scent. When we've got the fish tightly grouped up, we're switching over to the slow program, the Trout Trix Minnows. We've been running primarily 30 to 40 feet down, although we're starting to get some fish shallow, 20 and 25 feet.

Lake Almanor October 6, 2025 FAQ

What depth are Lake Almanor trout holding in early October?

Mainly 30 to 40 feet, with some fish moving shallow to 20 and 25 feet as the water cools.

What lures work on windy days at Lake Almanor?

Fast-trolled Trigger Spoons and Junior Optimizers scented with Brown Town.

What is the slow-program lure at Lake Almanor?

A Trix Minnow trimmed a quarter to half inch to match the pond smelt, on Brown Town scent.

What is the water temperature at Lake Almanor?

Just over 60 degrees and slowly dropping as fall progresses.

What are Almanor trout feeding on?

The lake's pond smelt population, which the baits are matched to imitate.

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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