Volume 45 Issue 5 Out Now!
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Stay up to date with the latest fishing reports and expert tips.
Stay up to date with the latest fishing reports and expert tips.

Check out the new Issue of The Fish Sniffer magazine for April 10, 2026. We cover everything from Donner Lake, Amador, Sly Creek Reservoir, NCGASA's Upcoming Striped Bass Derby, and more!

Tanya caught this striper early April, great season this year!

We had a reader send this in, 40.5" 30 pound striper. Must have been a heck of a fight on a kayak!

The weather in Tahoe is definitely warming up nicely. If you're planning a Spring or Summer trip out here, one of the be...

Fishing for Springer in Southern Oregon remains hot, just check out this picture from Dillyn of DP Guide Services. California is expected to kick off it's Salmon season in 3 days on April 11th, but we...

Whether you're new or a long time angler, it's always a great idea to get on the water with the guys from Reel Addiction...

Tanya is enjoying the kickoff of Halibut season. This one came in 1.5" short, but never a bad day on the water!

If you're new to Halibut fishing, check out this video from Chris Probst AKA ChrisPfish. His go to is 2 rods, dodger on ...

You've fished enough SoCal lakes to know most baits do the job on a good day. Every once in a while though something comes along that just works better on the bigger trout. These larger Thug Crushers ...

Mike Cooper from MADE Baits took his new mini jig lineup straight to Prado Regional Park Lake for a real-world test, and...

You pull up to Mountain Lakes Resort near Lytle Creek and it's hard not to get excited. The mountain air, trees hugging ...

You picture loading up the cooler and rods then heading out toward those California spots that most guys only talk about...

The Bay Area doesn't see too many trout derbies, so shlotrd is making it happen! Starts today, March 16th, and goes through the end of the month. Lakes covered include: -Lafayette Reservoir -Contra Lo...

Colusa on the Sacramento River keeps things simple for spring fishing with the state recreation area and its public boat...

Kittle’s Outdoor Sports in Colusa is celebrating 25 years in business and offering a fantastic sale on EVERYTHING in the...

Check out the new Issue of The Fish Sniffer magazine for March 20, 2026. We cover everything from the 2026 Salmon Season, what's happening at Pyramid Lake, Lake Almanor, Delta, Lake Shasta, Folsom, Berryessa, Fisherman's Wharf and more!

Check out the new Issue of The Fish Sniffer magazine for April 10, 2026. We cover everything from Donner Lake, Amador, Sly Creek Reservoir, NCGASA's Upcoming Striped Bass Derby, and more!

Tanya caught this striper early April, great season this year!

We had a reader send this in, 40.5" 30 pound striper. Must have been a heck of a fight on a kayak!

Many guides say the water level on the Sac has been lower this season, but that hasn't stopped folks from having a great...

The weather in Tahoe is definitely warming up nicely. If you're planning a Spring or Summer trip out here, one of the best ways to make it a once-in-a-lifetime experience is to get on the water and fi...

Fishing for Springer in Southern Oregon remains hot, just check out this picture from Dillyn of DP Guide Services. Calif...

The weather in Tahoe's getting really good. It's that time when the temperature is just right, but the summer crowds hav...

Dillyn has been non-stop in March and he's got a handful of days left in April. Handful as in April 9, 13 and 23.

Mike Cooper of MADE Baits caught this brown in the Eastern Sierras. He hit the river reservoir edge during the tail end of a fall storm before check in and found a heavy pumpkin colored buck brown. It...

Rio Vista/Delta Get Ready for Spring Striper and Sturgeon Fishing! RIO VISTA - The latest storms, resulting in muddy and...

BURSON – Shore anglers and rental boaters are catching big numbers of black bass, particularly smallmouths, at Pardee La...

ANGELS CAMP – While kokanee salmon fishing has petered out as the fish go upriver to spawn, fishing for rainbow trout is...
Hefty largemouth bass are the reward for anglers using live scopes to locate fish. Use shad pattern swimbaits, jigs and other lures for the best success.
Holdover rainbows, recent planters and king salmon are being caught by experienced anglers. Troll with Trout Trix Worms, Speedy Shiners and other lures from the surface to 25 feet deep.
Sanddabs, along with petrale sole and mackerel, are the reward for anglers venturing out on charter boats out of Santa Cruz and Monterey. Tom’s jigs, tipped with squid strips, are the top lures.
Trollers are catching rainbow trout on spoons and plastic worms behind dodgers. Shore anglers are hooking trout while tossing out PowerBait and nightcrawlers.
The spotted bass action should shift into high gear for anglers using small swimbaits and soft plastics. Expect to catch fish in the 15 to 25 foot range.
Fishing for striped bass is tough on the Delta. However, anglers trolling Dredger lures and spooning in the Port of Sacramento and Deep Water Channel are catching fish averaging 6 pounds.
The stretch of river below Nimbus Fish Hatchery is producing steelhead. Anglers are throwing spoons, drifting nightcrawlers under floats and pulling an array of plugs.
The steelhead season is in full swing. Boaters are hooking bright steelies while pulling plugs, while shore anglers are using fish pills, yarn and salmon roe.
Rainbow and brown trout are hitting flies on the Truckee River. The stonefly hatch is expected to begin in March.
Steelhead fishing has been tough since dam removal. However, one guide reported catching and releasing 6 adult fish while fly fishing on a recent trip.
The lake reopened to fishing on February 6. 4,000 pounds of rainbow trout went into the reservoir before the opener
Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing has been productive. Use ghost shrimp, salmon roe and lamprey eel for the sturgeon.
Rockfish and lingcod season will begin on April 1. Expect to bag limits of colorful rockfish, along with lingcod, while using bars, jigs and shrimp flies.
It won’t be long before the striper run begins in the Sacramento and Feather rivers. The fish typically start moving into the rivers in early March.
Expect the perch fishing to pick up off the Sonoma County Coast in March and April. Toss out pileworms, shrimp and plastic grubs for the best action.
Bay Area party boats will begin trolling anchovies and herring for halibut in March. This should be another great halibut season.

We're all getting amped up for salmon season in California, but the rules and regs for 2026 are still in the works. Check out this video where James Stone, president of NorCal Guides & Sportsmen Assoc...

Good News: California’s 2026 ocean salmon season scheduled to open on April 11 from Pigeon Point south By Dan Bacher SAC...

Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association: The Sportsman’s Voice The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association (NCGASA...

CDFW to Host Public Meeting on California’s Salmon Fisheries Sacramento - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife...

You've fished enough SoCal lakes to know most baits do the job on a good day. Every once in a while though something comes along that just works better on the bigger trout. These larger Thug Crushers ...

Mike Cooper from MADE Baits took his new mini jig lineup straight to Prado Regional Park Lake for a real-world test, and...

You pull up to Mountain Lakes Resort near Lytle Creek and it's hard not to get excited. The mountain air, trees hugging ...

Tom Guzman knows that when Irvine Regional Park drops 800 pounds of fresh trout into the water, you’ve got to show up wi...