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Northern California Weekly Fishing Report | April 16, 2025

Report by Catch America Pro Staff
This report comes straight from the Catch America pro staff out on the water.
What is working right now

Striped bass are red hot on the Sacramento River, Collins Lake is kicking out big trout to 8 pounds, and Don Pedro is producing kings and rainbows. Foothill trout are chewing on the Trix Minnow and Trix Worm behind a Turbo Flasher, while spoons like the Optimizer shine on a fast troll. Cover everything in scent.

How is Sacramento River striper fishing this week?

Very good. Capt. Jeff Goodwin reports catching tons of fish on minnows, finding the soft edges where the water is not moving fast and dropping minnows out the back of the boat. It is easy, fun fishing and one of the favorite fisheries of the year.

What is happening at Don Pedro?

Capt. Monte Smith reports water temps of 60 to 63 degrees and rising, excellent clarity with about 10 feet of visibility, and the lake 22 feet from full. Shad on a homemade harness is producing rainbows and king salmon to four pounds, with the kokanee bite only a few weeks away. Best depths are 35 to 75 feet.

How is Collins Lake trout fishing?

Cal Kellogg reports very good conditions with surface temps spiking to 63 degrees. Pink is the best color, running orange Turbo Flashers off hybrid leadcore trailed by a pink Trix Minnow, with Trigger Scent closing the deal. The biggest fish was 8.2 pounds at 10 feet deep, and a bubblegum pink Trix Worm has taken over, best from 17 to 25 feet on divers. Bait anglers score on garlic PowerBait spiked with Power Powder.

How are the foothill and Berryessa lakes fishing?

Capt. Nate Kelsch reports another fantastic week at Lake Berryessa with limits of trout up to nearly 5 pounds mixed with kings, crappie, and bass, all in the top 25 to 30 feet. Comanche and Pardee are still good from the shoreline with long leaders and garlic PowerBait fished around plants. At Lake Amador fish dropped to 10 to 20 feet, where slow soft plastics or faster spoons both work.

What tackle is producing across Northern California?

For trout, run the Trix Minnow and Trix Worm behind a Turbo Flasher on a slow troll. When the fish want speed, fast troll spoons like the Trigger Spoon, Junior Trigger Spoon, and Optimizer run clean. Cover baits and lures in Chrome Killer scent, which has been knocking fish out of the park up and down the state.

Watch the full report

From the report (Catch America Pro Staff): Pink has been the best color this week. I was running orange turbo flashers off of my hybrid leadcore rods trailed by a pink Trix minnow. Trigger scent has been closing the deal. It is critical to the bite out here. If you are not using trigger scent, you are not catching as many trout as you could be.

Northern California April 16, 2025 FAQ

What is the best fishing in Northern California this week?

Striped bass on the Sacramento River are red hot, and Collins Lake is giving up big trout to 8 pounds.

What depth are Collins Lake trout holding?

Fish are in the top 10 feet early, with the better bite shifting to 17 to 25 feet on dipsy and jet divers.

What color is best for Collins Lake trout?

Pink has been the top color, on both the Trix Minnow and Trix Worm.

How deep are the fish at Don Pedro?

Best depths are 35 to 75 feet for kings and rainbows.

What scent is working right now?

Chrome Killer scent and Trigger Scent are both closing deals across the region.

Should I fast troll or slow troll for trout?

Slow troll a Turbo Flasher with a Trix Minnow or Worm, or fast troll spoons like the Optimizer when the fish want speed.

What are the striped bass hitting?

Minnows dropped on the soft edges out the back of the boat are the ticket on the Sacramento River.

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Sacramento River Fishing Report | August 1, 2026

Report by Capt. Jeff Goodwin Jeff Goodwin runs Jeff Goodwin Guide Service on the upper Sacramento River and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Reach him at (530) 510-2925 to book a trip. Shop Jeff Goodwin's tackle. What is working right now The upper Sacramento River king salmon season opened August 1, 2026 at the world-famous Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. It was a slow opener with under a dozen fish caught, but Capt. Jeff Goodwin says prime fishing is only 2 to 3 weeks out. His go-to is back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on 10 ounce weights, double-wrapped with fresh sardine and wild prawn. What is biting on the upper Sacramento River right now?King salmon are the target at the Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. August 1, 2026 was the official opener, and Capt. Jeff Goodwin called it a light, slow opener with fewer than a dozen fish caught. His daughter Gracie boxed the first fish. More salmon are arriving as the run builds. What technique is working for Sacramento River king salmon?Back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on the bottom. Jeff runs 10 ounces of weight to reach bottom in the deep water, with 12 to 18 inch droppers and about a 48 inch leader. The lead gets the plugs down where the fish hold since they will not dive that deep alone. How do you wrap plugs for Sacramento River salmon?Double-wrap the plug with fresh sardine and a piece of wild-caught prawn. Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. Start with a loose wrap that keeps the hooks free so you do not tie them to the plug body, then add a couple of wraps on top. More bait draws more bites as long as it does not kill the action. How do you tune a Brad's KillerFish plug?Wrapping bait shifts the center of gravity, so a plug that ran straight can start leaning one way. The fix is the eye: if the plug swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. Test it beside the boat until it dives straight and dances side to side. Out of tune plugs will not get bit. What does massaging the plug mean?It means keeping continuous action on the plug so it never sits dead on the bottom. Pull up on the rod to make the plug dart to one side, then drop the tip so it flutters back. Salmon often hit on that flutter, so be ready for a hard, full-on strike that takes line right away. What is the guide's outlook for the Barge Hole?Jeff says the area is about 2 to 3 weeks out from really good fishing. August, September, and October are the prime months, and a late fall run from November through the end of December produces some of the biggest fish of the season. Eggs, boondogging, and hover fishing come later in the run. Watch the full report From the report (Capt. Jeff Goodwin): One of the favorite techniques for fishing out here in the Barge Hole is to back-bounce Brad's Killerfish. Today, we're using 15s and 16s as far as the size goes. We're running 12 to 18-inch droppers, and then about a 48-inch leader. We're using 10 ounces of weight today because we've got quite a bit of water, and we let out enough line to get down to the bottom. Sacramento River August 1, 2026 FAQ When did the upper Sacramento River salmon season open in 2026?The Barge Hole area opened August 1, 2026. Jeff notes his openers have always been July 16th and August 1st, though an open river does not mean the fishing is great yet. Where is the Barge Hole?On the upper Sacramento River near Anderson and Cottonwood, California, just below where Battle Creek dumps in. Salmon stack here and hold until the first October rains, then turn up Battle Creek to Coleman National Fish Hatchery. What weight do you use to back-bounce at the Barge Hole?Jeff ran 10 ounces of weight on opening day because there was quite a bit of water, letting out enough line to stay on the bottom. What leader and dropper lengths does Jeff Goodwin use?About 12 to 18 inch droppers and roughly a 48 inch leader, sometimes into the 50s. What baits do you wrap on Brad's KillerFish plugs?Fresh sardine and wild-caught prawn are the go-to, and Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. How do you know a plug is tuned correctly?Pull it up toward the bow of the boat. If it stays alongside the boat and dances side to side while diving straight, it is tuned. If it swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. When is the best salmon fishing on the upper Sacramento River?August, September, and October are prime, and a late fall run from November through the end of December brings some of the biggest fish. The opener itself was slow, about 2 to 3 weeks from really good fishing. Who guides the upper Sacramento River Barge Hole?Capt. Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin Guide Service. Call or text (530) 510-2925 to book. Shop the Tackle Brad's KillerFish KF15 Brad's KillerFish KF16 Shop Capt. Jeff Goodwin's Tackle Shop River Salmon Gear

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San Luis Reservoir Fishing Report | July 27, 2026

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