|
EAGLE LAKE RAINBOWS ...
Things couldn’t be any better at Eagle Lake at this point in the season. Big-bodied rainbow trout are on the move and are readily striking a number of different offerings. In the coming weeks anglers can expect to see an up turn in the average size of the trout being caught. The only stumbling block is the low lake level that may limit the ability to launch boats as fall progresses.
“Quality and quantity is the rule at Eagle Lake now,” disclosed Tim Noxon of Fish Traveler Guide Service. “The fishing is very, very good and limits are no problem. Anglers trolling and bobber fishing in the right areas of the lake are catching easy limits of fish to almost 5 pounds.”
“Believe it or not, there has been a much better trolling bite later in the morning, after 9:00 AM. Until then we are trolling between the surface all the way down to 28 feet, wherever our scopes show fish. Best trolled baits for us before 9:00 AM have been Sep’s brown trolling flies in the top 5 feet of water and Sep’s amber, brown, or watermelon grubs fished deeper, 12 to 28 feet deep. After 9:00 AM, the Eagle Lake trout have been driving the Tui Chub bait balls to the surface. When this happens we are moving our trolled baits up to the top 10 feet of water. This can occur anywhere between Wild Cat Point and Pikes Point, even right out in the middle of the lake,” added Noxon.
Steve Williams of S & S Guide Service agrees with Noxon’s assessment. “The fishing is really good,” said Williams. “We fished last Sunday, hooked 15 fish and got 9 of them to the boat. Most of the fish are in the 2.5 to 3.5 pound range. Grubs in the 3 inch size are still doing the trick between the Youth Camp and Pelican Point and in the stretch between Shrimp Island and Wildcat Point.”
“The trout fishing is going really strong right now,” exclaimed Tom Muller of Eagle Lake Charters. “I’ve been getting limits of fish up to 4 pounds while trolling white Sep’s Kokanee Kandy lures and threaded worms.”
Great Places to Fish
The Feather River system is fed by most of the North Sierras. It features salmon runs and a large native trout population. Lake Almanor has trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish and carp. Eagle Lake is home of the Eagle Lake Trout, an alkaline variety that grow so large that a 3 pounder is considered a "so what" catch. Other lakes to consider are Lake Oroville, Bucks Lake, and New Bullards Bar Reservoir. All are productive warm water fisheries. Antelope Lake, Butt Valley Reservoir, and Juniper Lake are good bets for trout. The area is also crossed by many creeks loaded with rainbow and brook trout.
|