New Melones Fishing Report

Melones Report
Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 2,302,916 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped two feet this week and is currently at 1078 ft. above sea level and 10 ft. from full. Water temperature is 80-83 degrees. Water is green-stained (lots of plankton- a good thing!) with strong mud lines near shore.   Watch for floating debris and unmarked island tops.

Trout: pretty slow, except for those who fish at night under a submersible light.   If you wish to troll for trout, fish 40-50 feet deep over deepest water in the main lake with shad-patterned lures such as Excel, Apex, Needlefish, or Rapala Countdowns, and use Bang or ProCure threadfin shad scent on your lures.   If you are in the mood for a beautiful boat ride, head upriver and still-fish under the logjam.   Fishing for trout at night under a submersible light is a lot of fun in the summer on Melones. We have a selection of night-fishing drop lights at Glory Hole Sports. The light attracts plankton, which attracts the baitfish, which attracts the rainbows. Drop a nightcrawler/Power Bait combo or a live minnow under the light. Allow an hour or two for the baitfish to come around the light- then the action starts! Bank anglers should head to local creeks like Angels Creek, although we have the occasional trout caught by bank anglers in Angels Cove.


Kokanee: Slower this week. Anglers who catch limits report having to work for them a lot more than they had to a month ago. Kokanee are congregating in the main lake 50-80 feet deep. The waters around Rose Island and the dam seem to be holding the most, and also largest, fish. Gary Burns of Take It To The Limit Guide Service reports best luck over deepest water in the main lake, and right up next to the dam face. With the kokanee running deeper and the water so stained, darker colors such as blue and purple and green are working best. R & K Micro Hootchies, Apex, RMT Assassins, Wiggle Hootchies, Wedding Rings and Uncle Larry's Spinners have all been mentioned by successful anglers. Run your lures behind Slingblades or Vance's dodgers in the same color family. Bigger lures will have good action from now till the kokanee are done. Some anglers tie a hootchie behind an Apex (remove the hooks that come with the Apex and thread the hootchie leader in its place) to present a bigger profile to late-season kokanee. Another trick is to tie two Slingblades or dodgers in tandem. Always tip your hooks with shoepeg corn and apply scent liberally. Vanilla, anise, Carp Spit, and Kokanee Special, are all working. Try spraying a little Bang Crawdad scent onto your lures and corn in addition to the Pro Cure. Crawdads eat kokanee eggs when they are spawning, so the crawdad scent gets the mature kokanee angry and ready to bite. Upcoming derbies include Central Valley Anglers (July 30), and Jackson Rancheria-sponsored $50,000 Kokanee Power 5-lake Mother-Lode Shootout on September 24-25.

Bass: Fair action. Water is very stained so noisy baits are your best bet, and adding a little chartreuse to your plastics is a good idea, too. Use a chartreuse dye pen to color the tail. Throw top-water lures in the morning and evening hours such as Pop-R's Pencil Poppers, Zara Spooks and buzzbaits. Rattletraps, Spinnerbaits, jigs with rattles and Senkos will work better in the heat of the day. Fish the backs of coves. Most fish are being caught in fairly shallow water. Remember to practice catch and release.

Catfish:  This is big cat time!  Catfish are moving into the coves and into shallower water. They like big boulders and structure to hide in, especially near muddy flats. A sliding sinker rig, and a ball of crawlers or a piece of anchovy or sardine is your best bait. Leave your bail open so the cats can't feel the line if still-fishing. Successful catfish anglers move their bait often, even dragging it along the bottom and bouncing it into rocky nooks and crannies, rather than letting it sit still. Fishing for cats is usually best at night, but plenty of anglers catch them during the day as well.

Crappie and bluegill: Look for crappie holding close to submerged trees in creek arms such as Bear Cove and Coyote Creek. The submerged trees upriver are also a good spot. Night-fishing under a submersible light is the most effective way to target crappie in the summer. Use Beetle-spins, red and white crappie jigs or small or medium minnows under a slide-rig bobber.