Coho Salmon Fishing Lake Oroville

Chasing jumbo Coho Salmon on Lake Oroville in California with Brett Brady owner of Bare Bone Guide Service, Fishbarebones. Com. This is one of the best time of year that you may find quality Coho’s from 16 to over 20 on flashers and Uncle Larry’s squid. It isn’t unusual to catch 20-30 fish in a day. An sporadic Rainbow Trout or German Brown is possible. Using Kokanee tackle like Lamiglas and St. Croix rods in the 7’6 these light weight action rods and fighting big bruisers is one of the best games on the lake. (youtube.com)

There’s also excellent fishing available at the Forebay and Afterbay also. The Forebay hosts all four species of bass available in the lake, also as brook, brown, and rainbow trout, and Chinook salmon. The Afterbay also has largemouth and smallmouth bass, trout, and both channel and white catfish, and common carp. To get up to date local fishing info, visit any of Oroville’s local sporting-products and outfitter stores. (water.ca.gov)

Trolling with downriggers is the most productive way to get down to these deepwater dwellers without having to use tuna gear. Kokanee are plankton feeders, so you re not trying to match the hatch with your tempt selection. The idea is to present them with something flashy and interesting and there are many makes and models of spinners, spoons, bugs, hootchies and dodgers from which to decide. And when we start discussing corn, things get more complex. It used to be that all kokanee anglers tipped their tempt with a single kernel of white corn but now you may be able to purchase corn that s been dyed every color of the rainbow and is scented with everything from Alaskan krill to carp spit. (fishwithjd.com)

The coldwater fishery program for the lake was then changed to inland Chinook king salmon that were placed in the 1990s. This provided a good fishery for some number of years. Then in 1998 and 2000, Chinook salmon at Feather River Hatchery which receives lake water started to get infected with the contagious haematopoietic necrosis IHN virus, which killed up to a quarter of the Chinook salmon smolts DFG raised. Also in 2000, the complete inland Chinook program for Lake Oroville became diseased with IHN and had to be destroyed. After much research, it was determined that the virus was being sustained and multiplied by the big numbers of salmon in the lake. (latimesblogs.latimes.com)

 Anglers are finding a reaction bite when they can get on actively feeding fish, but most have been sticking to finesse fishing. Anglers are either drop-shotting small tubes, or fishing 1/4 or 3/8 oz finesse jigs and small paddle-rear swim-baits on lighter line to catch bass, 12 to 14 inches long, with an sporadic 2-1/2 to 3-pound fish being caught. Shaky heads, Texas rigged worms, – Senko’s and football headed jigs are to get bit. Natural colors and earth tone baits like watermelon, pumpkin, oxblood and brown, also as bait fish imitations are all working.  . (Check over here)

Heading up the South Fork of the Feather River, off in the distance, a man’s bright red sweatshirt contrasts with the sandy gold shoreline. We make our way in that direction, and we come floating to shore. Marinella hops off the ship to check Ger Vang’s fishing license and talk about his catch. What’s he caught? What’s been hitting? Small talk that gives insight into the fishing weather. Before leaving, Marinella asks to see the fish. The bass he caught must be bigger than seven inches or he has to throw them back into the lake. Vang gets to keep his catch and we head back out. (orovillemr.com)

Most of the Striper fishing occurs on the Sacramento River between Grimes and Colusa and on the Feather River from Verona to Yuba City. By the 1st of April the Stripers are well into their spawning migration up both rivers. The most of the fish will make their way up the Sacramento River but on good water years we will see really good numbers up the Feather River also. The run usually peaks in May with good fishing well into June/July. To catch these guys Bare Bones uses live and cut bait also as lures. (fishbarebones.com)

Like most low elevation lakes and reservoirs, cold-water species are found deep, particularly throughout the summer and fall. Trolling at depth is the common approach, usually 40-50 feet. The deep water near the dam and up the North Fork are productive places. Interestingly, Lake Oroville is the only California lake that lets the take of coho salmon. These fish are bred at the close Feather River Fish Hatchery for planting. (anglersclub.com)

Most of the salmon fishing in CA happens in rivers running to the Pacific Ocean. The Sacramento River, Klamath River, Smith River and others, Lakes with a population of salmon in Northern California include Lake Almanor, Lake Berryessa, Bullards Bar Reservoir, Folsom Lake, Lake Oroville and Lake Shasta. In Central California, Lake Don Pedro, Lake Tahoe and Silver Lake are the main lakes with a notable salmon population. No big lakes in Southern California contain salmon. (aa-fishing.com)

Jason Tidwell Bill s fishing friend and Oroville expert did the excellent back-of-the-ship work for the day. And as Jason seamlessly switched us from mid-depth trolling to bottom-bouncing, he told us that caused by this season s high water, the lake floor where we’re fishing had, up till recently, been dry land; and so was cluttered with submerged, however still hard, brush-clumps and bushes. Which both held bait-fish nice to Coho AND could tangle and trap till the next drought! conventional fat downrigger balls. Which is annoying when it interrupts fishing, costly when it loses weights, and REALLY costly when it loses weights, AND breaks downrigger-equipment up top. (billdunnsfishingcharters.com)