Los Vaqueros
(Byron) Brisk fall fishing is available at Los Vaqueros Reservoir, where anglers fishing from both both shore and rental boats are bagging rainbow trout, catfish, striped bass and largemouth bass.
“Fishing for trout continues to be fair with the mixed weather we have had lately,” said Brian Demmunik at Los Vaqueros Reservoir. “The rainbows are being caught in South Cove and Oak Point as well as around the lake. The baits of choice for shore anglers are garlic-scented PowerBaits, nightcrawlers or Kastmasters.”
Trolling is popular with anglers using Rapalas and other lures in the coves. “A number of limits came out of Howden Cove this week,” Demmunik stated.
Fall trout plants are in full swing. Mount Lassen Hatchery planted 1,000 pounds of rainbows and the CDFW stocked 1,000 pounds of trout on Thursday, November 12.
“With the recent rains, the shoreline is slippery – please be careful and watch your footing,” he advised.
Chomuam Loth experienced top-notch catfish action when he landed 8 fish weighing a total of 44.49 pounds, topped by an 8.49 pound cat, along with seven more weighing an additional 36 pounds. He was soaking nightcrawlers in Howden Cove.
Bert Palmon of Fremont caught and released a 5.5 pound largemouth bass while tossing out a swimbait from a rental boat.
Night fishing is back every Saturday during November. Every Saturday this month the lake will be staying open until 8 p.m. for night fishing.
“Shakers are still the main action with striped bass,” noted Demmunik. “We are still seeing 15-20 undersized fish being caught for every keeper. There have been more boils reported in Cowboy and Howden coves as well as Peninsula Cove, but anglers are having difficulties enticing the fish to bite with swimbaits and other lures. From shore, cut anchovies or shad are the top baits.”
“Just a reminder: stripers need to be 18 inches or more to be legal,” he noted. “Please release the small fish as quickly and carefully as possible.”
The water level is currently at 89,100 acre feet. The water temperature has dropped to 65 degrees.
San Pablo
(El Sobrante) San Pablo Reservoir closed to fishing and other recreation on Sunday, November15 and will reopen on February 5, 2016.
During the last week of the season, the water had cooled down and the trout had just started to improve. For example, Nick Castagnolo of Santa Clara caught a trout while fishing out of a boat, reported Marcella Shoemaker of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company.
The lake level was 294 ft above sea level and the surface temperature was 63 degrees.
Lafayette
(Lafayette) Elyse Pacheco at Lafayette Reservoir reported great news for anglers – the long-awaited trout plants have finally begun.
“There are lots of happy fishermen here at Lafayette Reservoir,” said Pacheco. “The waters finally cooled to 66.8 degrees at 6 feet deep and we have officially begun trout plants as of Wednesday with the first plant of 1,000 pounds.”
“Eric and Johnny Chau from San Jose caught a lighting and rainbow trout this past Sunday. They used chartreuse PowerBait to hook the 1.43 and 1.63 pounders.”
“There is still quite a bit of catfish activity and largemouth bass, with many large ones being see by the docks behind the Visitor Center,” noted Pacheco. “The Visitor Center is open until 3 pm for the winter months, but there is a self service station available out front for fishermen to get a daily fishing access pass after the Visitor Center closes and before the park closure, which is 2-½ hours after the Visitor Center closure.”
.Shadow Cliffs
(Pleasanton) It’s trout time at Shadow Cliffs Lake. The park district planted 1000 pounds of big, bold rainbows in the reservoir the week of November 9 and the CDFW stocked 1000 pounds of catchable rainbows the week of November 16.
“Several anglers have reported catching their limits of trout while boating early in the morning,” reported Joe Sullivan of the East Bay Regional Park District. “One angler mentioned he had caught his limit within 2 hours.”
Ricky from San Jose caught three trout and two bass while float tubing in the main lake near the Panhandle.
“Catfish Joe is still enjoying his favorite spot where he reels in those catfish, (almost on a daily basis!) And his buddy Romy reeled in two nice trout on Friday. One weighed 6 lbs., 4 oz. and the second was approximately 8 lbs,” Sullivan noted.
Remember that the regulations for the Arroyo Ponds are different than for the main lake, including catch and release and barbless hooks and artificial lures only (no live bait). Float Tubes are the ONLY vessel permitted (No paddles are allowed.)
Del Valle
(Livermore) The larger striped bass and channel catfish are starting to hit as the water temperatures cools, as evidenced by recent weigh-ins at the Lake Del Valle Marina.
Jack Forzano of Livermore caught a 12.5 lb striper on livers from a point. Frank Lomeli of Sacramento fooled a 15.8 lb cat with mackerel in the Narrows. And Jose Zepeda of Tracy caught a 15.7 lb striper on anchovies in the Narrows.
Lukas and Dylan of Alameda enticed a 5 pound catfish with garlic-scented bait by the Dam. Tyler Blaset and Chris Kaapcke of San Jose landed 3 striped bass on anchovies in the Narrows.
“Striped bass are popping the surface here and there in the EARLY mornings, but there are but no boils. More striper activity has been happening in the evenings about 4 pm-5: 30 pm., just as all the boats have to be off the lake,” he noted.
Catfish are still on the bite eating cut baits on the bottom. Anglers are finding good whiskerfish action by the Dam, along with some smaller stripers.
“The water temperature is still right around 60 degrees and the mornings are getting quite chilly,” said Captain Danny Hollis of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company. “Into the afternoon it starts to warm up a little bit but, it’s short lived.”
“Trout are starting to pick up more and more as the water temperature keeps dropping,” stated Hollis. “We are waiting for the temperature to hit about 55 degrees or lower and those trout will be very active and feeding. Nightcrawlers are the only real bait the trout have been hitting this week. Drift a crawler under a bobber in shallow water or fling one out with a 1\2 oz sinker into the deeper water.”
Quarry Lakes
(Fremont) “There have been no reports of fish being caught, but Fisherman’s Row and to the left of the swim beach seem to be the hot spots this week,” said Joe Sullivan of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company.”
The park district stocked 1200 pounds of rainbows in Horseshoe Lake the week of November 16 and 1000 pounds two weeks before.
Use of lead fishing tackle is prohibited at Quarry Lakes. Go to the entry kiosk to exchange your lead weights for non-lead.