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Lake Berryessa Fishing Report | June 16
2025-06-16

Lake Berryessa Fishing Report | June 16

Napa County
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Lake Berryessa
Kokanee salmon king salmon Eagle Lake strain trout crappie bluegill red ear perch

Water Conditions

Weather
Weather
Not specified
Water Temp
Water Temp
Not specified
Water Clarity
Water Clarity
Not specified
Water Flow
Water Flow
Not specified

Fishing Overview

Target Species
Kokanee salmon, king salmon, Eagle Lake strain trout, crappie, bluegill, red ear perch
Depth Range
30 to 80 feet
Presentation
Trolling with dodgers, spoons, spinners, hoochies, and scented corn
Best Time
Not specified
Successful Lures
Trolling Dodgers (gold, orange, green-on-chrome) T-Pex Uncle Larry’s spoons, spinners, and hoochies Chrome Killer corn bait recipe (shoepeg corn + tuna oil + Nate’s Chrome Killer scent)
Other Techniques
Trolling at depth, targeting fish on sonar marks

Guide’s Tips & Notes

Advice for This Week
Lake Berryessa is red hot—bring a variety of trolling gear and be ready for action at different depths. Run your gear through marked fish between 30 and 80 feet. Keep bait cold and fresh to stay on the bite.
Changes We’re Seeing
The lake has been fishing incredibly well for several months now, and the action is showing no signs of slowing down. Even panfish are being caught deep on kokanee gear—something totally unexpected!
Predictions for Next Week
Expect the king salmon bite to build toward mid-July and ramp up through August. Heavier leader line is recommended as the kings are getting more aggressive and starting to break off lighter setups.

Recommended Gear for This Trip

T-Pex - 1 Inch Kokanee & Trout Trolling Lure

Regular price $6.95 USD
Sale price $6.95 USD Regular price

The T-Pex (also searched as TPex or T Pex) is a purpose-built inline trolling lure engineered specifically for the slow-troll speeds that kokanee and rainbow trout demand, the 1.0 to 1.8 mph range where standard spoons lose their action or spin out entirely. Its compact body produces a distinctive wobble-and-flash combination that kokanee find irresistible behind a Moon Jelly, Magnum, or 6-inch dodger, and it runs equally well solo on a double-hook leader for a cleaner, lighter presentation. The premium finish options cover the proven attractor and natural color patterns that produce across California and Western kokanee fisheries from early season through the fall run. With over 3,200 units sold last season, the T-Pex is the single best-selling lure in the Catch America lineup, because it flat-out catches fish.

Uncle Larry's Hoochies - 2 Inch Trout Squid & Landlocked King Salmon Squid

Regular price $4.99 USD
Sale price $4.99 USD Regular price

Uncle Larry's Hoochies are some of the most productive squid-skirt lures in the Landlocked King Salmon and trout trolling category: vibrant colors, exceptional in-water action, and a proven track record on Western fisheries from Shasta to the Eastern Sierra. The hoochie skirt design produces a breathing, pulsating motion behind a dodger that kokanee and rainbow trout find irresistible at the slow trolling speeds their fisheries demand. Available in Multiple color patterns covering the full range of bright, UV, and natural tones that produce in varying light and depth conditions throughout the season.

 

Size: 2 inches 

Uncle Larry's Power Spinner - Trout & Kokanee

Regular price $6.25 USD
Sale price $6.25 USD Regular price

Uncle Larry’s Power Spinner is built around a premium blade and a bait-holding spring that keeps nightcrawlers, corn, and other natural baits in place through the entire troll without bunching or shredding. The combination of action, vibration, and natural scent trail produced by a correctly rigged Power Spinner is one of the most effective trout-triggering presentations you can run on a Western reservoir. Available in five proven color patterns covering the chartreuse, silver, and copper combinations that produce consistently on rainbow trout and kokanee across varying light conditions.

CA Trolling Dodger 6"

Regular price From $11.17 USD
Sale price From $11.17 USD Regular price $13.00 USD

The Catch America 6-inch Stainless Steel Trolling Dodger is the standard-bearer of the kokanee and trout troll, a wide-swinging attractor that pulls fish in from the surrounding water column while imparting action to any trailing lure. Premium stainless steel construction holds its shape and finish through a full season of hard use without the distortion and corrosion that compromise cheaper alloy dodgers over time. The 6-inch size delivers the ideal balance of attractor flash and line drag, making it compatible with everything from medium-action kokanee rods to heavier downrigger setups. Available in 10 proven finish options including Moon Jelly, 24K Gold, Black Diamond, and Green Diamond.

Chrome Killer™ Scent by Big Nate

Regular price $9.95 USD
Sale price $9.95 USD Regular price

When I'm running chrome spoons and metallic lures for big trout and salmon, Chrome Killer is the fish attractant I trust to close the deal. It's a UV-enhanced oil formula specifically engineered for chrome and reflective finishes, loaded with real baitfish oils, amino acids, and powerful bite stimulants that chemically react with the metallic lure surface to create a multi-sensory attractant combination that triggers strikes even from fish that have already passed on the presentation. I apply it directly to my dodgers, spoons, and flashers before every troll, and I've personally watched it convert follows into strikes and cold spreads into bent rods when no other adjustment was working. If you're running chrome hardware without Chrome Killer, you're leaving fish in the water.