Fresno Bee Sept. 16, 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
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 3 King salmon 2 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Calaveras Trout Farm and the Merced Irrigation District released 1120 pounds of rainbow trout in the lake on September 8th, and the trout are heading for the coolest waters near the dam or up the river arm. Aaron Jones touted the river arm as the best location as the bass are most active in the cooler water. He said, “Numbers of smaller bass are taken on finesse techniques, but there is a reaction bite upriver in the shallows.” Stacey Herrin of the Bait Bucket in Snelling reported urchin baits or minnows are working for bass from the shorelines. The Reel Deal Market is anticipated to close after last weekend’s Labor Day Holiday. The lake dropped nearly 3 feet to 790.62 feet in elevation. There are two club bass tournaments remaining in September with two in October.
Lake McSwain
Trout 3
Stacey Herrin of the Bait Bucket in Snelling reported Calaveras Trout Farm and the Merced Irrigation District planted 3740 pounds of trout on Monday, and limits to 7 pounds have been the story ever since. She said, “Pink Mice Tails from Golden State Bait, chartreuse/green Mice Tails from F and B Baits, red worms, and chartreuse garlic Power Bait are the top offerings from the Handicapped Docks, the Brush Pile, or the peninsula near the marina. With the Splash-N-Dash Water out of the water, fishing takes center stage for the coming months. The Reel Deal Market & Cafe is now open only on Saturday from 10 am -3 pm and on Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Kokanee 2 Trout 3
Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service said, “Kokanee are all but over for the season, but there are quality rainbow trout from 3 to 5 pounds available for interested trollers. There are few boats on the lake targeting rainbows, but I was out with Tyrone Beard of T-Bone’s Tackle, and we scored with T-spoons or Optimizer Jrs. at depths from 25 to 45 feet as the bait remains shallow. There is a ton of bait in the lake right now.” Bass fishing is like Don Pedro with a slow overall bite with the best action in the cooler waters of the river arm. The best fishing remains in the evening into the night with topwater lures, jerkbaits, crankbaits, or underspins. Finesse presentations of jigs, Senkos, or deep-diving crankbaits are working best during the daytime around bluff walls or main lake points. Both Glory Hole and Tuttletown open from 6:30 am to 8:00 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but Glory Hole is the only ramp open starting at 8:00 am Monday through Thursday. The hours and conditions may change soon after Labor Day. All boats must be quarantined for 30 days or decontaminated at the New Melones Marina. Water releases continue as the lake dropped nearly a foot to 1008.49 feet in elevation and 65% with downstream Tulloch at 97%.
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 0 King salmon 1 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Tas Moua reported a continued solid bass bite although the action slowed a bit, perhaps due to the triple-digit heat. He said, “Crankbaits are working around 15 to 20 feet in depth along with jigs, and there is a bite in the trees for those shaking a minnow or urchin baits. Jigs are working along steep rock walls or main lake points, and there are occasions when the bass are pushing up bait along the banks near Trimmer and Windy Gap.” A trout plant took place in the lower Kings below the dam last week, and Moau reported pink Mice Tails, Joe’s Flies, Pinched Crawlers, or Floating Worms are all effective for up to limits of the recent planters. The catch and release section is from Cobbles (Alta) Weir downstream to the Highway 180 crossing with a zero limit and only artificial lures with barbless hooks allowed. No further tournaments are on the schedule in September, but there are two in October. The lake dropped 2.5 feet to 742.30 feet in elevation and 16%.
Delta/Stockton
Bass 2 Striper 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
The Labor Day Holiday Weekend arrived with heavy boat traffic, and two boating accidents resulting in two fatalities and one individual remaining in critical condition took place. The sloughs of the California Delta are narrow with many blind corners, and unfortunately, accidents occur far too often. Striped bass continue to follow in Chinook salmon into the Sacramento side of the Delta, and trollers are scoring along the West. Bank with deep-diving plugs with a Zoom Trick Worm trailer. Spooning near Antioch has produced up to 100 striped bass to 25 inches, and there are others finding success casting swimbaits into the shallows. The bulk of the fall striped bass and salmon migration has yet to arrive, but within the next few weeks, more of both species will announce their arrival. Salmon fishing along the Benicia shoreline is starting to pick up with as many as 10 salmon landed during a single slack tide from those casting shoulder to shoulder from the rocks. Spinners such as Blue Fox or Mepp’s Flying C’s provide the best opportunities for those willing to toss cast after cast for hours. The waters are starting to cool, and the bass are moved closer to submerged wood. In the north Delta, flipping plastics near wood with moving water are producing along with chatterbaits or spinnerbaits for fish in the 2.5-pound range. Another option is arriving on October 1 with the opening of the white sturgeon catch-and-season.
The Buckley Cove launch ramp at Ladd’s Marina in Stockton will be closed from October through December for dredging years of sediment over nearly 14 acres, including the entrance to the channel and waterways around the boat launch where equipment is able to access. Dredging will be completed to a maximum depth of 8 feet below the low-tide water mark, plus an additional 2 feet. The boat launches at Morelli Park and Louis Park will remain open in Stockton.
All the rest
Valley/Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 3
Tas Moau of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported triple-digit heat during the week slowed down the striped bass bite in the California Aqueduct with most anglers avoiding the water conveyance system during the daytime. The best fishing remains at night where the temperatures are cooler with 5-inch flukes, Duo Realis jerkbaits in size 120 or 130, or anchovies, sardines, or pile worms around the flood gates, bends, or bridges. The current remains strong as pumping into San Luis Reservoir from the south Delta continues. Striperz Gone Wild Fall Classic Striper Tournament is only a few weeks ago on Saturday, October 3 from 6 am to 2 pm at the California Aqueduct and Hilldale Road with prizes for adults and youth 15 and under for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Bill Sterling of Stripers Gone Wild added, “The top raffle prize will be a wagon loaded with tackle.” Youth participation is a primary purpose of the aqueduct tournaments.
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Tas Moua reported there are still some double-digit largemouth bass for the taking as a 10-pound bass was landed on an urchin bait. He said, “The bite from the bank has slowed down considerably as the fish have moved into deep water during the daytime. Many of the regular kayak anglers at Eastman were at Lake Shasta this week, participating in the Bass Angler Magazine’s Tournament of Champions. The blue-green algae warning remains at both lakes. At Eastman, an algae warming is along shoreline near the east and west boats ramps, and at Hensley, the East and West Floating Docks. Water releases have stopped, but the lakes are dropping slowly from evaporation. Eastman is at 466.41 feet in elevation and 7% with Hensley at 453.66 feet in elevation and 7%.
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Aaron Jones at Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto said, “There are signs of the bass bite getting better, but it is still not hot by any means. There are tons of shad in the lake, and the bass are suspended, but they are not really oriented to the shad schools. The combination of triple-digit heat, boat traffic, and the fact the bass can eat whenever they want are all factors in a slower bite. The best action remains in the river arm with the cooler water as the fish are more active. The topwater bite has been slow, but the moving bait bite is starting to improve. Jigs or plastics on the drop-shot at depths around 30 feet for numbers, but I would cover water with reaction baits such as underspins, crankbaits, jerkbaits, or topwater lures with the trolling motor on high. There are times when the bass are blowing up on shad, but the bass aren’t really following the shad.” With the Bass Angler Magazine Pro/Am this coming weekend, September 18 -20, the lake should be busy with boaters pre-fishing this week. For rainbow trout and king salmon, Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported slow action for both species, but he said, “The few fish that are being landed are big, and this bodes well for the upcoming fall and winter months once the lake cools down. There are tons of bait at depths from 40 to 50 feet, and this is typical for this time of year. What is different is that the trout and salmon aren’t biting this year, whereas in the past, even with all the shad in the lake, they still bite.” Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. A self-inspection is required for launching. The lake dropped 2 feet to 791.35 feet in elevation. There are four bass tournaments remaining in September with 2 in October.
Isabella/Kaweah/Success/southern California Aqueduct reports available at https://www.tackleandrod.com/weekly-fishing-report.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Tas Moua reported the better cut of bass is found on spoons and jigs on main lake points. The lake continues to drop slowly, receding 2.5 feet to 505.77 feet in elevation and 45%. There is only one bass tournament through the end of October, Bass 101, on October 4. The San Joaquin River at Friant remains steady at 383 cfs.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
Tas Moua reported banks fishing has slowed since the stripers appear to have moved offshore at depths from 80 to 100 feet in 200 feet of water. Anchovies or flukes descended to these depths are picking up small legal stripers. Boaters are casting from deep water toward the shore with topwater lures, jerkbaits, or flukes for a similar grade of striped bass. A 35-pound striped bass was landed on a fly from a boat.
Roger George of Roger George Guide service said that boaters and trollers were struggling in the heat – with lots of suspended fish ignoring baits. “ my buddy Sonny Johansen and I scouted this week- but the bite was tough overall, and the fish hard to find. Rising water and bright days pushed the fish down- but we worked the big lake for 1 nice fish going 35” and 17.5 lbs – a very fat fish. Released. The fish came at about 60’ . It’s been a weird year with wind, cool spells, and rising water. I’m hoping this fall brings more stability! “ George said
In the O’Neil Forebay, Moau reported the grass along the shorelines is starting to die, and shore anglers are wading out past the grass for largemouth bass to 4 pounds along with striped bass from sub-legal to over 18 inches. He said “The bass are feeding on shad and smelt right now along the edge of the grass. There have been early morning boils near the Power Lings.” Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild participated in the Cast 4 Kids event on Saturday, and he said, “We went out early before the youth arrived, and we found good action near the boils with Lucky Craft Pointers. The wind came up and it was very choppy on the lake, and we almost couldn’t take out the youth due to a red-light warning. We were given the OK after 9:00 am, and 10 boats took out a total of 37 youth in challenging conditions. There were small bass and bluegill landed by the participants, and it was a great event overall.” Golden mussel watercraft inspections are no longer needed at San Luis and the O’Neill Forebay. The main lake rose to 67% with increased pumping out of the San Joaquin Delta with the forebay dropping to 79%. The opening of Los Banos Creek Reservoir has been postponed to September 21 per the most recent announcement on the California State Parks website.
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 0
Tas Moua reported boat traffic continues, and there is a solid bass bite with Zoom Trick Worm in greenpumpkin or Strike King’s Dream Shot on a drop-shot along with urchin baits around the docks or along the edges of the grass. Trout fishing should improve with upcoming plants and cooler water temperatures. Kokanee remain MIA. A webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. One bass tournament is scheduled in mid-September with one in mid-October.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2
18 teams with 17 youth participated in Saturday’s Kokanee Power Team Tournament, and Kokanee Power President, Larry Abernathy, said, “Dick Nichols of Mountain Tackle reported a tough bite with all the boats circling around the honey hole near the houses south of the dam. He said, “Everyone had right rhythm in circling even though it was very crowded. Only 7 teams weighed in fish, but you really must know how to bounce the bottom without getting hooked up to get the big fish to strike.” Dick Nichols of Mountain Tackle added, “Kerman’s Brett Phillips and his team of son Garrett, former guide Tom Oliveira and Michael York took first place, landing a total of 15 kokanee during what turned out to be a very tough bite. Guide Joon Nguyen of Reel Time Guide Services was one of the few collecting multiple limits for his clients, and
brothers Rick and Bob Giubbini of Paso Robles and Joe Gronwald of Hawaii scored limits on a recent trip with Nguyen. He also put his clients onto three limits on Sunday.
The spawning kokanee are scattered from the main deep hole at the point to a few deep holes mainstream of the lake near the Point and Road Two at depths to 80 feet, and spoons along with orange Mountain Tubes or Mountain Candy are providing the best action. The lake will be on a big drawdown over the next few weeks in preparation for the anticipated El Nino rains. Edison Lake has also been drawn down.”
Jarrett Watson of Shaver Lake Sports reported a slow trout bite at Shaver, but fresh Department of Fish and Wildlife plants took place last week at Huntington, Courtright and Wishon. Watson recommends Dick’s Mountain Tube’s or Trout Busters behind Mountain Flashers or Dodgers at these lakes.” Shaver is at 66 with Huntington at 98%.
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 3
Kelly Brewer of the Wishon Village RV Park and Store reported the water level at Wishon remain high, but Courtright has been receding to a lower water level. He said, “Trout fishing remains good in both lakes was Wishon was planted again last week. Trollers continue to find their best action at 3 colors of leadcore with blade/’crawler combinations, Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger, Rapalas, or spoons. Bank fishing is best with Power Bait in pink or green along with inflated nightcrawlers.” Road conditions – Sierra National Forest 297-0706 ext. 4961 or 392-0423.
Ocean
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Rockfish 3 salmon 2 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting Guide Service reported, “It’s nice to be back in my favorite fishing spot on earth, Santa Cruz. This week’s southern hemispheric swell was bolstered by another southern pulse generated by hurricane Marie, which is traveling north northwest in the open ocean, roughly parallel to Baja Mexico. South swells, even those that are not very big in terms of height can be very powerful due to the long period aspect of the waves. The current swell is no exception, and it is making surfcasting a bit difficult as the shore break impact zone has been rather violent, and there is quite a bit of floating seagrass and kelp in the mix. For those with boats or access to a charter, the swell presents little problem. Rockfish and lingcod are providing limit-style returns for anglers fishing both nearshore in 40-70 feet of water as well as those hunting deep water rockfish out at 300 feet or more. Lingcod are getting bigger and more numerous as we move into fall and approach their winter spawning season. Late November and December are the best months to catch the lingzilla females that will be inhabiting the rocky reefs in 30 to 50 feet of water outside of Carmel, Big Sur and the reefs near and north of Santa Cruz. South swells have the effect of driving halibut from the warm placid, nearshore sand out to deeper water. They like clear water for their hunting. The here are plenty of big halibut out there still. Reports indicate numerous halibut, even limits caught daily from Westside Santa Cruz down to the Pajaro area and outside of Moss Landing on the sandy flats in 40 to 70 feet of water. We have also received consistent reports from the Sand City and Del Monte Beach areas of halibut ranging from barely legal (22 inches) up to 30 pounds during this past week. Those same areas are also holding a bonanza of white seabass. For weeks now, anglers have been finding these hard fighting and delicious big croakers while using live mackerel, smelt, and squid. White seabass hit hard and usually take one or two blistering runs when first hooked. Check your drags. Some consider the seabass to be the best table fare available from our local ocean waters. We do have resident white seabass here year-round, but conditions as we are experiencing now with warmer than normal waters and abundant bait bring in tanker seabass migrating up from the Channel Islands area. Let’s enjoy it while we can. There’s a good possibility they will stick around for the next month or so. Wind conditions on the outside have kept most boats from chasing the big schools of bluefin tuna that have been hanging out 10 to 50 miles offshore, from Big Sur up to Farallons area. According to Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine, only a few bluefin were reported caught this week. We believe this is not from a lack of tuna in the area, but rather a lack of anglers chasing tuna. On a final note, the September salmon season is open and scheduled to remain open for the month. There are still salmon out there. The best fishing for kings right now is to the north, particularly for those boats launching out of Half Moon Bay Harbor. Captain Tom Joseph on the Sara Bella runs a speedy four pack and has enjoyed full limits of eight salmon on his recent trips. These are beautiful fish feeding in the Pacifica area as they stage their reentry into the Sacramento river system for spawning.”
The ocean salmon season in the Monterey and south Management Zone for the fall season is open until September 30 or until the harvest quota of 20,000 fish is reached.
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay/Half Moon Bay
Halibut 2 Salmon 3 Striper 2 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3
Salmon fishing along the Marin coastline is nothing less than spectacular as limits of big fish are the rule. Captain James Smith of California Dawn Sport Fishing said, “This is by far the best salmon fishing of the entire season with ‘wide open’ action for big fish pushing 30 pounds.” Captain Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sport Fishing continues to head below the 38/02 line just above Point Reyes, and he has put his passengers onto limits to 33 pounds since the September 1 opener. Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters out of Paradise Cove has brought in limits for his clients over the weekend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with salmon to 31 pounds trolling along the Marin coastline from Rocky Point to Stinson Beach. The wind came up on Saturday and Sunday, and many six-packs stayed tied to the docks, but Slate added, “The winds didn’t arrive until around 11:00 am, and by that time, we had limits in the box.” The fall season salmon season with a harvest quota of 20,000 salmon will continue through October 31 or until the quota is reached. The fall season zone is from the 38”02 line just north of Point Reyes to the Pigeon Point subarea.
Rockfishing is also very good, but with the great salmon fishing, most boats are targeting this major push of Chinook salmon before they turn the corner to head through San Francisco Bay on their way to the rivers. The wind limited big party boats to the coast over the weekend, but the Sea Wolf out of Emeryville scored 20 limits of rockfish on Saturday while further north, Powers of Bodega Bay Sport Fishing posted 14 limits of rockfish and lingcod on Sunday.
Inside the bay, it’s shark week as leopard shark remain abundant, but few boats are targeting species inside the bay. There is a possibility that white seabass will be moving inside the bay within the months of October and November.
San Luis Obispo
Rockfish 3 Surf perch 3
24 students from Roosevelt High School’s Bass Fishing Club and Advanced Placement Environmental Science and Biology classes went rockfishing on the Black Pearl out of Morro Bay on Wednesday, and club adviser, Michael Spencer said, “It was a great trip with plenty of blue, vermilion, canary, and cabezon rockfish along with a half dozen lingcod. We also drifted for halibut along the sand off Cayucos, but only a sand shark was willing to bite. The previous day, the students took a kayak tour of Morro Bay, learning about the geology, geography, and ecology of the bay along with a tour of the oyster farm. After fishing on Wednesday, our band director and Outdoor Club adviser, Taylor Ledak, cooked an amazing meal of fresh rockfish tacos. Before heading back on Thursday, a group of two students were paired with a biologist from the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) to dissect rockfish, learning about otoliths and the age and gender of the fish. It was an incredible experience for our students, particularly since all had never been on a boat in the ocean previously.” Roosevelt High students have been invited by NOAA scientists to participate in this study for the past two years due to their well-deserved reputation for community involvement. Out of boat San Luis Obispo County ports, rockfishing remains strong with best fishing on the longer trips further from the closely accessed reefs.
Events:
October 2nd – 4th – 78th Annual Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival – information: https://www.bassfestival.com/.
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The Fresno Bee
Christopher Kirkpatrick is senior editor of The Fresno Bee and Vida en el Valle.