Lake Berryessa Fishing Report | December 2025
The report at a glance
Presentation
Troll Trout Trix soft plastics behind a downrigger; ran a regular Trout Trix Minnow, the XL, and Trout Trix Worms in shad, chartreuse, purple, and pink, with a couple of Trigger Spoons in the mix
Lures and baits
Trout Trix Minnow soft baits (5-pack)
Trout Trix Minnow XL (5-pack)
Trout Trix Worms (5-pack)
Trigger Spoon (fast-trolling coverage)
Other techniques
Downrigger trolling
Trigger Spoon run alongside for fast-trolling coverage
Weather
Thick fog over the water, slowing the morning run
Advice for this week
Cal's take: soft plastics catch trout for the same reason they catch bass. They look real and feel real, so fish grab them and hang on. Match the hatch on color and size and do not be afraid to run a bigger profile when fish want it.
Next week
The soft plastic bite is popping wide open at Berryessa. Expect it to keep producing big trout as the crew keeps testing and dialing in the Trout Trix series.
Lake Berryessa is producing big trout on soft plastics. Capt. Nate Kelsch and Cal Kellogg ran Trout Trix Minnows, the larger Trix Minnow XL, and Trout Trix Worms in shad, chartreuse, purple, and pink, plus a couple of Trigger Spoons. They stuck 17 to 20 hookups including hefty Eagle Lake trout, with the soft plastics hooking fish cleanly in the jaw.
What is biting at Lake Berryessa right now?
Big rainbow and Eagle Lake trout, piling up on soft plastics. Capt. Nate Kelsch, out with Cal Kellogg, said the soft-plastic bite is popping loose at Berryessa. They had 17 to 20 hookups on the day, including several big fish, after a slow, foggy run out.
What lures are working at Lake Berryessa?
Soft plastics. They ran regular Trout Trix Minnows, the larger Trix Minnow XL, and Trout Trix Worms, plus a couple of Trigger Spoons. Real shad and minnow looks, a chartreuse, a purple minnow, and a pink worm all produced fish.
Why do soft plastics work so well at Berryessa?
Like bass on soft plastics, trout grab a bait that looks and feels real and hang on. The Trout Trix Minnows and worms loop around the lower jaw and hook fish so they are not getting away. Nate got fish on every style they tried.
How were they fishing at Lake Berryessa?
They ran the soft plastics on the troll, including off a downrigger, after a slow run through a solid wall of fog. A mix of the older Trix Minnow and worm styles and newer prototypes all got bit. Exact depths and trolling speed were not specified in this report.
What is the outlook for Lake Berryessa?
The soft-plastic trout bite is strong at Berryessa and Nate expects it to keep producing big fish. Cal notes these baits work all over the world, and Berryessa is proving it. Run the Trout Trix series to catch more and bigger fish.
Watch the full report
Lake Berryessa December 2025 FAQ
Soft plastics, including Trout Trix Minnows, the Trix Minnow XL, and Trout Trix Worms, plus Trigger Spoons.
Shad and minnow patterns, chartreuse, a purple minnow, and a pink worm all caught fish.
About 17 to 20 hookups, including several big fish.
Big rainbow trout and hefty Eagle Lake trout.
They loop around the lower jaw and hold, and fish grab the realistic bait and hang on.
Capt. Nate Kelsch (Big Nate) alongside Cal Kellogg for Catch America.
