Best fishing this week in Central, CA: Lake Don Pedro, Millerton, High Sierra, San Luis Obispo
Fresno Bee June 31, 2026
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.
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
Bee’s Top 5 Picks:
Delta/Stockton
*Bass 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
Wind has been the story on the Sacramento side of the California Delta, and if you can get past the wind, striped and largemouth bass action is best on the west side with walking baits, red chatterbaits, or River2Sea’s Whopper Ploppers. The bass are feeding heavily on crawdads, and red is the magic color for chatterbaits or crankbaits. The water temperatures are in the high 70’s, and heavy herbicide spraying has eliminated sections of grass. Punching through the dying mats is a good option as the mats continue to provide shade. The overall air temperature has cooled, but the frog bite should be picking up as the water temperatures spike to over 80 degrees. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing ended on June 30 before reopening on October 1. Similar to the Sacramento side, red chatterbaits are the key with the bass feeding on crawdads in the shallows. Plastics will catch numbers, bu the larger fish are taken on either frogs or chatterbaits. The two big frog tournaments are coming with the Ultimate Frog Challenge on July 25/26 and the original frog tourney, the Snag Proof Open, on August 1 and 2. Both tournaments are held out of Big Break Marina. There are plenty of undersized striped bass in the San Joaquin system for anglers soaking anchovies or sardines, but the best opportunity for keepers is by drifting minnows or tossing paddletailed swimbaits. Tournament weights have risen to an average of around 15 pounds for mid-table teams.
Wishon/Courtright
*Trout 3
Kelly Brewer of the Wishon Village RV Park and Store reported both lakes are still producing limits for trollers at 3 colors of lead core with Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler or blade/’crawler combinations. Bank anglers are finding the best action with either nightcrawlers or green Power Bait.’ Trout plants in the High Sierras will take place at Portal Forebay, Florence Lake, Mono Creek, and the South Fork of the San Joaquin River this week. Road conditions – Sierra National Forest 297-0706 ext. 4961 or 392-0423.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
*Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
Dick Nichols of Mountain Tackle reported improved kokanee action at Shaver, but the fish are moving daily. He said, “The Point, the island, and Black Rock are all good options, and if you don’t find them at one location, move quickly to the next option, The water temperature is rising, but this week, I found the best depth to be 29 feet. Elmer Quinto of Fresno Ag Hardware and his son and grandson were out with me this week for limits of kokanee, but it was a slow bite in the early morning. Moving over to island at 9:00 am, we immediately started hooking kokanee on both the downriggers and side poles at 29 feet with Dicks Trout Busters in Jimbo, Shaver, or the new Silver Tiger Trout Busters in orange tipped with orange corn behind Super Dave, D-MAC and Captain J Mountain Dodgers. Paul Brown of ‘Fishin’ With Paul’ Guide Service found a quick bite right outside of the Edison Marina at 27 feet using a pink Brad’s Hot Tail or orange/gold T-Pex spoons for 13 kokanee at depths from 29 to 42 feet. The water has warmed up to 71 degrees on the surface, and the kokanee are dropping in the water column. At Huntington, Steve Blair of Hanford fished the east side of Dam#1 at 15 to 30 feet down or 4 to 5 colors on lead core line with pink and chartreuse Wedding Rings behind Dick’s Super Dave Mountain Dodgers for small kokanee and rainbow trout. Another productive area is the middle of the lake from the launch to the dam. Huntington received a trout plant last week”. Sail boating will dominate Huntington on the weekends of July 11/12 and 18/19 with the annual High Sierra Regatta. Shaver held at 87 with Huntington at 97%. The next meeting of the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project is July 11 at 10:00 am in Room 44 at Sierra High School at 33326 Tollhouse Rod in Tollhouse. The public is welcome to attend.
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
*Bass 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 0 King salmon 3 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Trout trolling remains outstanding for experienced anglers as Brian Klassen of Reedley and crew posted 4 limits of rainbows from 13 to 16 inches running shad-patterned ExCel spoons or blue/silver Speedy Shiners at depths from 40 to 55 feet with a setback of 50 feet at 1.8 to 2.2 mph. Klassen said, “We had lines in the water by 5:25 am after launching out of Island Park, and we headed to the Power Lines to find schools of shad. The action wasn’t hot or heavy, so we transitioned over to Windy Gap, only to find a lack of bait. Once we got to the stretch between Lakeview and Zebe Creek, the bite was on. We had 2 rods at depths from 50 to 120 rolling shad for king salmon, but there were no takers. Fishing remains good, just must find fish that want to bite.” For bass, Moau reported a solid jig bite as the crawdads are being exposed with the rapidly dropping lake levels. He said, “Bass in the 1- to 3-pound range are found along the banks at depths to 15 feet. I would also recommend working spoons among the bait balls. Topwater lures are still a possibility, but the most consistent action is with a finesse presentation.” A trout plant is scheduled in the lower Kings River this week, and this will spur on the shoreline bite with Joe’s Flies, Atomic Tubes, Power Bait, live crickets, nightcrawlers, or salmon eggs. The flows rose to 766 cfs at Army Weir north of Lemoore. The lake dropped 8 feet to 885.80 feet in elevation and 65%. Only one bass tournament, the Fresno Bass Club on July 26, is scheduled in July.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
*Bass 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 2
Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service continues to grind out limits at New Melones, and he said, “The fish are getting bigger, but with the lake dropping several feet in the past few weeks, the kokanee have moved into the main river channel at depths from 90 to 95 feet. Head Hunter T-Spoons or Wiggle Hoochies behind a 5.5-inch Paulina Peak’s gold hammered dodger continue to be our top setup.” 34 anglers participated in the recent Central Valley Anglers Russ Faught Memorial Kokanee tournament at Melones with the team of Tyler and Jordan Tuschi coming in first with a five-fish limit at 5.41 pounds with the big fish at 1.80 pounds by Jay Winchester. For bass, Aaron Jones reported few boats are on the lake, and the fishing remains solid with a topwater bite in the mornings and evenings and deep-diving crankbait action for the suspended fish. Both Glory Hole and Tuttletown open from 6:30 am to 8:00 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Glory Hole will be the only ramp open starting at 8:00 am Monday through Thursday. All boats must be quarantined for 30 days or decontaminated at the New Melones Marina. Water releases have started in earnest as the lake dropped 2.5 feet to 1025.87 feet in elevation and 72%. Downstream Tulloch is expected to open to the public for fishing out of the South Shore Marina this week.
Valley/Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 2
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported continues slow fishing action in the northern section of the California Aqueduct with most local anglers heading to Los Vaqueros Reservoir to target striped bass or catfish. In the central section, Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported catfish in the 10- to 15-pound range have been landed on nightcrawlers, anchovies, or crawdads, but it remains ‘hit or miss’ for striped bass.
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Moau reported a slow morning bass bite until early afternoon around 2:00 pm until sunset with anglers finding the fish holding on the rockpiles. Jigs or Skinny Bear’s Dice Baits are working best for the deep fish, but Moua added, “There is still a swimbait bite if you can find the schools.” The bass will come into the shallows to feed on baby bass, bluegill, or crappie. With no upcoming tournaments, few bass anglers are targeting Hensley. Catfish, bluegill, and carp remain the top species, but there are bass holding offshore over structure. There are no bass tournaments at either lake through the end of July. Water releases have started in earnest at both lakes as Eastman dropped 2 feet to 497.59 feet in elevation and 21% with Hensley dropping 1.5 feet to 483.44 feet in elevation and 26%.
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Kokanee fishing has slowed, and Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported the few kokanee that are landed are quality to nearly 17 inches. The said, “The kokanee are coming up to feed between 40 and 60 feet, and we landed a 4.5-pound king salmon on a purple Apex at 60 feet.” The kokanee have scattered from their previous haunts in the Middle Bay. Kokanee Power’s Phil Johnson Memorial Tournament is July 11, and the key will be locating three big fish. Pedro has only dropped a few feet in the past month, and healthy kokanee to 18 inches available at Pedro, but these fish are already hugging structure on the bottom. The upcoming tournament has all the earmarks of being a grind for most teams. For bass, Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto also reported a slowdown as some anglers are finding decent action while others continue to struggle. He said, “There is a reaction bite with deep crankbaits as the fish have moved out into deeper water, and jigs or plastics on a drop-shot or Carolina-rig are also working.” There are 7 bass tournaments on the schedule in July, and 5 of the 9 remaining tournaments are on Friday night. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. A self-inspection is required for launching. The lake dropped 0.5 feet to 819.12 feet in elevation and 93%. The Blue Oaks Upper Launch Ramp is open. With the limited restrictions for launching, recreational boating is high, particularly on the weekends.
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 Kokanee 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
McClure got in the game a few weeks back with Bryan McGinty of Killer Bee’s Guide Service consistently posting early limits of big kokanee 17 inches, but the bite has changed dramatically. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing had also found solid action at McClure, but he said, “The boat traffic got heavy, and the fish have scattered. We did find solid action one day during the week with a 4-pound king on a purple Apex at 60 feet and our first-ever Lightning trout at 70 feet at McClure along with some quality kokanee to 17 inches at depths from 40 to 60 feet, but two other days during the week were tough.” Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service found similar action at McClure as the bulk of the kokanee schools dropped from 40 to 55 feet last week to between 80 and 100 feet this week.” 1450 pounds of Calaveras Trout Farm rainbows were planted at McClure Point on June 20. For bass, Aaron Jones reported the bass have moved out into deeper water, and jigs, deep-diving crankbaits, or plastics are all working at depths around 30 feet. The water has dropped 4 feet in the past two weeks, and the bass are moving off the shorelines. The Reel Deal Market is now open daily from 10am – 5 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 6:30 pm on weekends. The Barrett Cove Café is open weekends through September 7. The lake dropped over a foot to 839.08 feet in elevation and 82%. There are no bass tournaments scheduled through the end of July.
Lake McSwain
Trout 3
Calaveras Trout Farm planted 2350 pounds of rainbow trout on June 20, and the exact dates of the plants are not being released until a few days afterwards to allow the trout to acclimate to the lake without intense angling pressure. Immediately after the plants, shore action is outstanding with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or various spoons. Trolling remains best for holdover rainbows in the cooler waters of the river arm below the Exchequer Dam with Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger, Kastmasters, or blade/’crawler combinations on a long set back. The Splash-N-Dash Water feature dominates interest on the lake. Information on the Splash N’Dash is available at: https://mysplashndash.com/. The lake dropped slightly to 82%. The Reel Deal Market & Cafe is now open every day the Splash N’ Dash is operation, Mondays thru Fridays from 10 AM to park close; Saturdays from 8 AM to 7 PM; and Sundays from 9 AM to 7 PM.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Tas Moau reported overall tough action during the recent Father’s Day tournament with the winning weight in the 9-pound plus range. He said, “There was a 4-pound bass landed on topwater, and quality fish were the story before the tournament, but it slowed down on tournament day. Scoping at 25 feet is effective along with covering water with buzzbaits or reaction baits.” The best fishing takes place during the early mornings or late afternoons during the week when recreational boaters have yet to launch. The lake is now releasing water, and it dropped 3 feet to 569.03 feet in elevation and 92%. The San Joaquin River remains stable at 366 cfs at Friant. There is only one bass tournament scheduled in July, the Sierra Bass Club on July 18.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
Tas Moua reported good action for keeper striped bass in the main lake along wind-blown points on the Highway 152 side along with near the Romero Visitor Center with 4-inch paddletailed swimbaits.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the wind has been a daily problem – with the Park closing the lake to boating for several days in the past week” With the water falling around a foot and a half a day, strong winds, spawning stripers - and a full moon this week – the bite has been tough for boaters. I got out Sunday with brothers Frank and Gilbert Castillo of San Jose and finding active fish was as hard as it gets- but we found one active school of fish that turned a bad day into a decent one. Working the northern shoreline of the main lake at 60-80’ with silver/ shad colored lures we ended up with over 15 nice stripers and a new PB , 31”, 12 lber for Gilbert . The bite shutoff as quickly as it began. “George said.
There hasn’t been much change in the forebay with small fish dominating action as the flows have dropped considerably. Golden mussel watercraft inspections are no longer needed at San Luis and the O’Neill Forebay. The main lake continues to release water, and it dropped from 72 to 70% with the forebay holding at 82%. Los Banos Creek Reservoir was scheduled to open this month, but the opening has been postponed to August 1.
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0
Mike Beighey of ‘Bass Lake Fishing Tours with Mike’ reported the trout bite has slowed down, but it should improve soon. He said, “Corn has been working better to tip on lures than nightcrawlers because the fish been just pecking at it, and corn is harder to get off the hook. Quality holdover rainbows to 3.5 pounds are coming out, and I landed a 6-pound/24-inch rainbow on Wednesday using a pink Dick’s Trout Buster tipped with scented corn behind a big blue Mountain Dodger. The trout are starting to spread out, and they are harder to locate, but the stretch from the Ducey’s to the Forks Resort at 20 feet is a good place to start. I checked out the area around the dam for kokanee, but there is nothing there even though I checked all the deep spots. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been planting 50,000 kokanee annually, but they have not shown up for several years.” Tas Moau reported an 8-pound spotted bass as part of a 20-pound limit was landed around the docks. Senkos on a Neko-rig or weightless flukes are working best, but the grass is thick around the shorelines. A webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. No future bass tournaments are schedule through the end of July.
Ocean
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Rockfish 3 Salmon 2 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service reported, “A series of powerful south swells with gusty daytime winds on top made for some uncomfortable boat rides and slowed inshore fishing somewhat. Those swells have passed and reports indicate the inshore bite is improving rapidly. J&M Sportfishing from Monterey tallied limits of rockfish for their clients every full trip this week, including up to six lingcod for the Kahuna on Monday. Six-pack charters from Santa Cruz report full limits as well, while fishing the deep reefs. Remember, this is the first year in ages that we have no depth restrictions for rockfish and lingcod. Another bonus, and ranked number one on most locals’ fishing list, is the king salmon. It’s been a few years since we enjoyed an extended season for salmon in California, and the catch rate is steady enough it looks to continue for some time before anglers reach allotment limits. We are allowed to catch a maximum of 21,800 fish for this season, and the latest info from the Department of Fish and Wildlife indicates 4300 caught as of May 31. That leaves 17,500 allowable catch before season’s end on August 31. The kings are still here feeding on abundant bait out towards the middle of the bay. The most consistent reports continue to come from anglers fishing the canyon edges out of Moss, the Soquel and Pajaro Holes. Patterns remain consistent as well, with most fish caught down deep, “in the mud,” meaning very close to the bottom. Typical depths for success are 180 to 250 feet of water, though an increasing number of catches were reported from much shallower water, like 100 to 140 feet, especially near the southern beaches like Mulligan’s Hill and The Soldier’s Club. These fish are also right on the bottom, in cooler water, biting a variety of trolled bait and lures. Bayside Marine’s Todd Fraser reported on Wednesday saying, “There were some early limits caught by anglers trolling in 160-220 feet of water. The anglers are having good luck trolling blue Kajikis, chrome Krippled Anchovies, Apexes, gold Tom Mack Spoons and Purple Haze Hoochies. The salmon are in the 12- to 25-pound range so be ready.”
Expect halibut fishing to ramp up considerably in the next few weeks, as waters closer to the beach warm up. It’s already been a good halibut fishing season, and we’d expect that trend to continue, especially if those pesky giant New Zealand swells stop being such a nuisance. Inshore bait consists mostly of Pacific Mackerel which grow to about 10 inches and school up in the thousands. We are seeing those giant schools right now in various spots around the bay. With the warm water “blob” persisting offshore and a Super El Nino firming up in the forecasts, we would expect the mackerel to be here all summer and into the fall. they are excellent bait for lingcod, halibut and offshore bluefin tuna. When amid a mackerel surface frenzy, don’t forget to send a couple out on a fly line. More than one white sea bass was caught in the bay over the past few weeks.”
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay/Half Moon Bay
Halibut 2 Bluefin Tuna 3 Salmon 3 Striper 3 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2
The weather was unkind to small boats when the highly anticipated ocean salmon opener from Point Arena to Pigeon Point arrived on Saturday, June 27. Big boats were able to make a go of it along the Marin coast, but with the weather expected to blow for up to two weeks, it may be some time before the smaller skiffs access the ocean.
With the ocean conditions unfavorable for whale watching offshore near the Farallon Islands, Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito pivoted to put together a last-minute salmon trip, and they were rewarded with 18 limits of quality salmon to 25 pounds. Davis said, “It was big boat weather, and it certainly wasn’t flat calm, but it wasn’t the worst conditions we have ever faced. There were salmon all over, but we found our action closer to the end of the main shipping lane outside the edge of the North Bar. We lost way more than we landed as it was pretty bouncy out there, making fighting a fish a challenge, and there were plenty of doubles and triples.
Limits of quality salmon were the story for every big boat that made the trip on the opener as the New California Dawn out of Berkeley posted 26 limits to 25 pounds while the New Rayann out of Sausalito also returned with 22 limits by 2 pm. The scores were more challenging on Sunday with many party boats returning with either a fish or a fish and a half per rod, but Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters posted 7 limits of quality salmon trolling off Stinson Beach.
There is a harvest quota of 34,900 salmon during the first portion of the season open from June 27 through July 22 and from August 1 through 23 before an additional 20,000 salmon available below Point Reyes starting September 1.
Inside the bay, striped bass remain the staple with Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco posting limits of bass and a handful of quality halibut on every trip. The six-pack Scallywag out of Emeryville Sport Fishing returned with a total of 13 bluefin tuna offshore on Wednesday and Thursday trolling Nomad’s Mad Macs near the Half Moon Bay Weather Buoy. After returning with 4 limits on Wednesday in flat conditions, the word was out, and the offshore region was littered with skiffs and commercial anglers for up to 9 bluefin per boat.
San Luis Obispo
Rockfish 3 Surf perch 3
Bluefin fever hit this section of the coastline, and there was some great action offshore through the week until the wind came up. Rockfishing remains the staple out of the San Luis Obispo County ports with two boats out of Morro Bay Landing with a combined 48 passengers returning with near limits consisting of 358 assorted, 25 vermilion, 14 Boccaccio, 13copper, and 9 ling cod to 10 pounds on Sunday. Also on Sunday, a single boat out Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis posted 14 rockfish limits of 122 assorted, 14 vermilion, 2 cabezon, 2 copper, and 3 lingcod to 8 pounds.
Events:
Tournament Results:
Delta – Modesto Ambassadors – June 20th: 1st - Richard Contreras – 15.07 pounds, 2nd - Gerry Johnson – 14.05; 3rd - Johnny Grissom – 10.60. Big fish – Cody Conway – 6.45-pound largemouth.
New Melones – Central Valley Anglers Russ Faught, aka ‘Mr. Kokanee’ Memorial Tournament (Five-fish limit) – June 20th: 1st – Tyler and Justin Tuschi – 5.41 pounds; 2nd – Richard Contreras/Chris Miller – 4.60; 3rd – Randy McRoberts – 4.35. Big fish – Jay Winchester – 1.80 pounds.
This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 6:16 AM with the headline "Best fishing this week in Central, CA: Lake Don Pedro, Millerton, High Sierra, San Luis Obispo."
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