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Pyramid Lake Fishing Report | October 2025

Report by Capt. Nate Kelsch (Big Nate)
Nate Kelsch runs Big Nate's Guide Service and makes an annual first-week-of-October trip to Pyramid Lake. He is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Shop Nate Kelsch (Big Nate)'s tackle.
What is working right now

Pyramid Lake was on fire for the October 2025 opener. Capt. Nate Kelsch and crew put 105 Lahontan cutthroat trout in the boat, with 20-plus fish in the teens and some to 23 pounds. They vertical-jigged 1 to 3 ounce P-Line Laser Minnows and Sierra Spoons over fish stacked from 40 to 80 feet. Use the new Big Nate rod for the fight.

How is the fishing at Pyramid Lake right now?

Lights out. Nate reported 70 to 90 fish a day, and the best day hit 105 Lahontan cutthroat to the boat in five to six hours. Quality was incredible, with 20-plus fish in the teens and up to 23 pounds. Nate called it his best day in 20 years.

What depth are the fish holding at Pyramid Lake?

The cutthroat were stacked from 40 to 80 feet, with marks littering the graph from 50 down to about 80 feet inside bait balls. Pull up over the top of active fish and drop your jig into that zone to stay on them.

What lures work at Pyramid Lake?

Nate jigged 1 to 3 ounce P-Line Laser Minnows in Wonderbread and Sierra Spoons, plus triple-style jigs built for vertical presentations. These are competitor jigging spoons and minnows, not Catch America products, but they hammered the stacked cutthroat all day.

How do you jig for Pyramid Lake cutthroat?

Pull up over the top of the fish, drop the jig to the right zone, and let it flutter down. The fish usually hit on the flutter on the way down, then you lift and let it flutter again. All barbless hooks, no scent, staying right on top of the bait balls.

What rod is Nate using at Pyramid Lake?

The brand new Big Nate Catch America Kokanee and Trout Trolling Rod. Nate fought fish on it all day and showed off how deep it bends into these heavy cutthroat. It was his favorite rod of the trip.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Nate Kelsch (Big Nate)): We are jigging for these fish. We're using anything from 1 ounce to 3 ounce P-Line Laser Minnows, Sierra spoons. We're pulling up over the top of these fish, dropping, letting it flutter down. Generally, these fish are going to hit on the flutter on the way down. We ended our day with 105 fish to the boat.

Pyramid Lake October 2025 FAQ

What depth are the cutthroat at Pyramid Lake?

Stacked from 40 to 80 feet, with marks from 50 down to about 80 feet inside bait balls.

What technique works at Pyramid Lake?

Vertical jigging. Pull up over the fish, drop the jig, and let it flutter down. The fish hit on the fall.

What color was best at Pyramid Lake?

A Wonderbread P-Line Laser Minnow accounted for fish in this report.

What is the keeper limit at Pyramid Lake?

Two fish per day: two from 17 to 20 inches, or one from 17 to 20 inches and one over 24 inches.

Do you use scent at Pyramid Lake?

No. Nate fished barbless hooks with no scent, relying on the jigs and vertical presentation.

How big do the fish get at Pyramid Lake?

Nate landed 20-plus fish in the teens and up to 23 pounds on this trip, calling it his best day in 20 years.

Who guides Pyramid Lake for Catch America?

Capt. Nate Kelsch (Big Nate) of Big Nate's Guide Service.

Tags: cutthroat-trout nate-kelsch pyramid-lake
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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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Northwest Oregon Fishing Report | July 2026

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