Fishing spots ranked in Central CA: Fresno-area lakes, Delta, Bass Lake, High Sierra
Fishing report compiled by California Outdoors Hall of Fame member Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, who guides in the greater Fresno area and holds the striper record at Millerton Lake.
Best bets
Bass Lake pumping out trout and bass, Mike Beighey reported. Millerton spotted bass active, Tas Moua said. New Melones kicking out big bass, Aaron Jones reported. Delta sturgeon action solid, Steve Mitchell said.
Rankings key below: 4: Fish are jumping in the boat. 3: Good fishing. 2: Decent fishing. 1: Poor fishing. 0: Don’t bother
Unless noted, area code is 559
Valley/Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 3
The California Aqueduct remains slow overall as the northern section is dominated by high current from pumping out of the south Delta. Below the O’Neill Forebay, the flows are reported to be slower, limiting action. Anglers must be extremely careful when walking on the slippery banks, especially when ice forms on cold mornings. There are yellow-painted escape ladders along the sides of the aqueduct although they may be hard to see.
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
At Eastman, Tas Moau of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported some of the larger bass are moving into the shallows, and anglers are grinding it out for the opportunity for one big bite. Otherwise, bass fishing has been slow. He said, “Crappie are found in small groups of two or three fish, and they have been easy to catch although they aren’t schooling up yet.” At Hensley, Moau reported dedicated anglers are finding largemouth bass to 4 pounds on reaction baits. No bass tournaments at either lake in February, but there are 4 at Eastman and one at Hensley in March. Both lakes are scheduled for trout plants this week and the week of the 22nd so bank anglers will be congregating around the launch ramp for the planters. The presence of the planted trout will improve the big swimbait bite as well.
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto reported some bass anglers are doing well while others are struggling. He said, “The best bite takes place on sunny days as the fish are moving into the shallows, but the majority of bass are holding from 15 to 40 feet with jigs in green pumpkin or brown/purple along with nail-weighted plastics. The drop-shot bite is decent, and the swimbait bite is on.” The schools of king salmon are scattered, and trollers must use their electronics to find them. It should be a very good year for king salmon, rainbow trout, and kokanee with three years of high water. The lake rose less than a foot to 802.23 feet in elevation. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. A self-inspection is required for launching. but There are 5 remaining bass tournaments in February with two this coming Saturday and two on Sunday along with five more in March.
Isabella/Kaweah/Success/southern California Aqueduct reports available at https://www.tackleandrod.com/weekly-fishing-report.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Aaron Jones reported more of the same at McClure with jigs, Ned-rigs, or tube baits on a ¼ to 3/8th- ounce jig head at depths from 15 to 20 feet for small spotted bass. Top tournament limits have been consistently in the 10-pound range, but this should change as the larger females start moving into the shallows. A few trout trollers are finding success working shad-patterned spoons from the surface to 20 feet near the dam. The lake held at 812.38 feet in elevation. There are 4 bass tournaments remaining in February including this coming Sunday’s Fresno Bass Club event with 4 more in March.
Lake McSwain
Trout 2
The lake needs a plant as shore action is fair at best for the holdovers from the last plant over a month ago. Once the lake is planted, bank anglers will magically appear to work Berkley’s Mice Tails, garlic-scented Power Bait, inflated nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters from the Handicapped Docks, the Brush Pile, and the peninsula near the marina. The best action is for trollers pulling Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind a dodger past the First Fence Line. The lake is nearly filled at 95%.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 3 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 2 Crappie 2
Moua touted Millerton as the best bet in the area with a 15-pound limit taken pre-fishing for an upcoming tournament. He said, “Plastic worms on a drop-shot, shakey head, or Neko rig along with jigs or Hula Grubs are all producing. There are some fish found less than 15 feet, but most of the bass are holding deeper from 30 to 50 feet.” The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant are steady at 392 cfs. Woodward Park is scheduled for trout plants this week and the week of the 22nd while Sycamore Island is scheduled for a trout this week. Millerton dropped less than a foot this week. 2 bass tournaments remain in February with one in March.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2
Aaron Jones reported more and more bass anglers are getting their boats decontaminated to take advantage of what Melones has to offer as the lake continues to kick out big fish on big baits. He said, “The reaction bite is very good with umbrella rigs, underspins, or glide baits, but jigs are also producing.” Bass fishermen are starting to gravitate to the lake to toss big swimbaits for the opportunity for a trophy largemouth or spotted bass. Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service continues to work T-Spoons in shad or bright patterns in the top 15 feet for rainbow trout, but the action has slowed down over the past few weeks. This week’s storms should get the inlets going, and the rainbows will migrate to pick up easy meals near the shorelines. All boats must be quarantined for 30 days or decontaminated at the New Melones Marina. New Melones rose less than a foot with Tulloch at 84%.
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Bass fishing remains best with plastics on the drop-shot or Texas-rig along with Brush Hogs as the fish are starting to move into the shallows. This week’s stormy weather could push them back out into deeper water. Bass anglers are trying for big fish with glide baits, but they have been limited to followers in the 3-pound class. In the lower Kings, trout plants are scheduled below the dam and in Avocado Lake for the next two weeks, and this will jumpstart the bite with a variety of offerings including Berkeley Mice Tails, Pinched crawlers in floating or garlic, small spoons, or garlic Power Bait. The flows are steady at 780 cfs at Trimmer, but they should rise with the storms. The lake rose 5 feet this week to 858.85 feet in elevation. Two bass tournaments are scheduled on February 21 including the Sierra Bass Club event with two more in March.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 3 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
The main lake rose slightly to 79%. Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported good striped bass action with jumbo minnnows or flukes on a scrounger head in Portuguese Cove. Pile worms are also a top bait for shoreline anglers. Tas Moua confirmed the solid striped bass bite with 5- to 7-inch flukes in White Ice or Bone along with Duo Realis 120SD jerkbaits in Bone for striped bass as the linesides are loading up on the lake’s American shad population.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the reaction shore bite has been good for anglers using ripbaits and flukes. “The deeper trolling bite has been sporadic since the fish seem to have gone shallower in the 58 degree water. I had two guests release 8 school fish on a slow trolling bite- but we also had a 28”, 9 lb fish in the mix. The cold upcoming storm could push the fish down this week. The bite has been tough for a lot of anglers but a few figured out the pattern.” George reported.
The forebay remains slow except around Check 12, and Mesa reported a continued decent largemouth bass bite with plastics. The forebay is at 85%. Los Banos Creek Reservoir is closed to public access through April 2026.
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 1
Bass Lake is a good option for both spotted bass or trout. Mike Beighey of Fishing Bass Lake with Mike’ reported the lake is producing one to two limits of rainbow trout. Chris Counts of Fresno fished solo Saturday for nearly 3 limits of trout in the 13- to 17-inch range, keeping a limit trolling a pink Trout Buster or a pink Wedding Ring tipped with crawler and Pautzke’s Fire Gels behind pink or orange scale Dick’s Mountain at a setback of 145 feet back in front of the Forks in the flats in 20 feet of water.
Brian and Evan Klassen of Reedley were out with a full boat on Saturday, and they fished Benny the east near the dam and Sheriff’s Tower for 13 hook ups, keeping nine rainbows from 12 to 13 inches using a variety of tackle at depths from 20 to 35 feet. Klassen said, “We found a pink Bottom Line spinner tipped with crawler behind a Moon Jelly dodger was best.” Both Counts and Klassen reported no problems launching. Tas Moua found spotted bass to 2.5 pounds shaking a minnow close to rockpiles without the benefit of Forward Facing Sonar on his kayak. Two-time world kayak champion, Damian Thao of Fresno, continues to find success for big spots tossing a BGC Glide Bait.”
A webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. No bass tournaments are scheduled throughout February and March.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2
Dick Nichols of Mountain Tackle said, “The lake continues to be slow, and with the storms coming through, boaters will have to check the webcam for launching conditions. Most trollers I have heard from have been concentrating the back part of the lake for yearling and holdover trout using spinners tipped with corn or crawlers behind weighted flashers or larger dodgers at 15 to 25 feet down. Some kokanee have been found on the north side of the Fishing Club east to Stevenson Bay. With 3 to 5 feet of snow expected in this storm, it may be weeks before the bite picks up.” The next meeting of Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project is March 14 at 10:00 am in Room 44 at Sierra High School in Tollhouse. The meeting is open to the public.
Check the launch ramp at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. Shaver dropped to 53 with Huntington at 60%.
Ocean
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported surf perch between 12 and 16 inches have been the story from the beaches around Monterey, Sunset, and Rio Del Mar. He said, “The king tides have brought in the big fish, and it’s the same story with Mekini Baitz, Honey Badger’s, or Lucky 13 grubs in Moto red or motor oil/red flake, and we have had to limit the number of these lures purchased by individuals. Berkley Gulp! Sand Worms have also been effective. A few striped bass are taken off Sunset Beach in the early mornings with Duo Realis 120’s in Mazume Sardine or Lucky Craft 110 jerkbaits.”
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service reported, “Crabs and ‘Dabs are still the ticket at J & M Sportfishing in Monterey. Sanddabs are so plentiful at 200 feet the clients stop catching when they feel like it. Horse mackerel are also numerous, and most trip reports include Petrale sole and sand sole in the mix. On the Santa Cruz side, Dungeness Crab remains the star species for wintertime anglers. Sand dabs, sole and horse mackerel are numerous in those same areas, towards the center of the bay alongside the submarine canyons. Winter halibut fishing is surprisingly consistent 15 fathom line. Most of these flatties are smaller males, with plenty of legal-sized models in the mix. Water temperatures are averaging about three degrees warmer than usual, which may explain this unexpected boon.
We have seen a consistent catch of halibut this winter in around 90 feet of water so the probability of an early move to the shallows between 30 and 60 feet is a reasonable expectation. This normally occurs in April/May. We’ve been assured by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that April 1 will be the opening date for the RCG Complex fishing season (Rockfish, cabezon and greenling). Rockfishing should be scheduled open until December 31, 2026. And as a bonus, it looks like the DFW is doing away with the checkerboard depth restrictions for this season. Rockfishing is scheduled to open “for all depths,” including those beautiful deepwater reefs beyond 300 feet.”
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay/Half Moon Bay
Halibut 2 Striper 2 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2
It’s the same story in the bay, and the story won’t change until the party boats start trolling for halibut in the south bay in March. A few private boats and kayaks are pushing the envelope for the flat fish out of Oyster Point with limited success. Generally, the south bay is tops for halibut in the early season with the clearest water in the bay before the fish start moving out to deeper water by May. Live bait may be available as early as April, and this is a major determining factor as boats will be able to target halibut in deeper water. The first glimpse of the possibility of an ocean salmon season will be revealed during the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s annual Salmon Information Meeting on Wednesday, February 25 at 1:00 pm, and this meeting begins the two-month public process to determine the potential for recreational and commercial seasons. There is great optimism for a much longer recreational season in 2026 based upon projected returns to the Sacramento River.
Information on the Salmon Information Meeting including details, agenda, informational materials and instructions to view the livestream will be published in advance of the event on CDFW’s Ocean Salmon web page.
It’s all about striped bass, shark, or sturgeon in the north bay, and there are still schools of roaming striped bass that have yet to migrate into the California Delta. Sturgeon fishing in San Pablo Bay is experiencing a rejuvenation, but targeting white sturgeon is restricted from lines connecting Point Chauncy to Point Richmond, the Bay Bridge, and Point Lobos to Point Bonita from January 1 to March 15 annually to protect sturgeon during the herring run.
Shoreline crabbing remains decent with snares. The Pacific Pier remains crowded on weekends and holidays, and the coming storms might shut down access to the pier for a few days. The status of the pier is available here - https://www.cityofpacifica.org/departments/public-works/field-services/pacifica-pier.
San Luis Obispo
Surf perch 3
Boat-based rockfish season will not reopen until April 2026, and shore fishing for surf perch or rockfish is the only game in town during the coming months. Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service reported, “From the beaches, find the right spot, and you’ll find the fish. Reports of barred surfperch, walleyes, calicos and the rare striped bass continue to filter in as beach anglers wait for the wave train to abate.”
Delta/Stockton
Bass 2 Striper 2 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
Just when largemouth bass action was starting to improve, the coming cold storms could reverse the recent trend of an improved bite. Dave King of Nor Cal Bass held at 30-boat tournament out of Paradise Point on Saturday, and he said, “We had 23 teams weigh in where we only had 7 teams weigh in two weeks ago out of 25 boats.” Plastic worms, Senkos, or jigs on a slow presentation seem to be the most effective offering.” Striped bass continue to migrate as lure casters with G-Rat’s Sneaky Pete’s or River2Sea’s Swaver 168 are doing work on both sides of the Delta. Kenji Nakagawa of Lodi found great action for linesides to 15 pounds with the Swaver. The coming storms will most likely encourage more stripers to migrate upstream as there are already striped bass in the Feather and American Rivers. Whether the inflow from the storms muddies up the Sacramento side remains to be seen.
Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing reported continued outstanding sturgeon action, but the probability of the cold storms could lower the water temperature several degrees. If so, sturgeon will need a few days to adjust to a rapid water temperature change, but the sturgeon are thick in Suisun Bay.
Events:
February 28th – Paradise Point – Grand Opening of the Nor Cal Bass Hideout Tackle Shop – free BBQ tri tip starting at 4:00 pm.
March 13-15 – Kern County Fairgrounds – Sportsmen’s RV and Boat Show – information - https://www.calshows.com/.
Tournament Results
:Delta/Paradise Point Marina – Nor Cal Elite Bass Valentine’s Day Tournament - February 14th: 1st – Jamond and Mallory Andrews – 18.39 pounds; 2nd – Mike and Amy Cole – 14.23; 3rd – Lorenzo and Lilly Rossetti – 13.86. Big Fish – Brian Avila – 7.50 pounds.
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 10:10 PM with the headline "Fishing spots ranked in Central CA: Fresno-area lakes, Delta, Bass Lake, High Sierra."
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