April/May 2023 Fishing Report

Lake Level: 7 ft rumsey

Cache Creek Outflow: 600 cu ft./s

Water Clarity: 2-4 ft in most areas

Water Color: Stained

Water Temps: 58-67°F

Precipitation: 0.55” (April); 0.91” (May)

Big Fish: 6.3 lbs.

Advisories:

• All launch ramps are open!

• Major tournaments coming up: WON Bass Open on Clear Lake - June 7th-9th 2023

Report:

Welcome to June everyone!

First off, what a difference a little bit of water makes for fishing and the overall health of Clear Lake. This time last year, many of us were struggling to even put a limit in the boat. The water clarity was terrible (onset by an early algae bloom) and most of our usual Spring go-to spots were either dry or barely accessible by boat.

Now, the problem is quite the opposite. Most of us here that got accustomed to fishing the low water levels were thrown for a bit having to recall those lucrative high-water spawning areas. There are so many little inlets and channels around the lake, especially on the north end, that have been out of water for so long that it feels strange revisiting them. I’ve spent most of the last two months exploring those places and mostly observing rather than fishing.

April was a great month. Weather patterns were typical for a classic Lake County Spring, with cooler temps, intermittent precipitation, pre- and -post frontal winds, followed by some nice periods of sun and warming trends. I did a LOT of shallow cranking in April, something I like to do before the weed growth takes off. LVs, traps, and 1.5 square bills all produced in both red and shad colors. My fishing partner scored a 6.3-pound fish on a red 1.5 KVD just burning it parallel to tule edges. Around this time of year I’ll switch from the heavier LV500s and Jackall TNs to some lighter baits that you can retrieve more erratically and with more speed - I plan to do a video on this soon. I also spent a bit of time and had some luck throwing the 6” UFO Gill wakebait, a bait I’ve had tied on since December but haven’t had time to bring out.

I think a lot of anglers expected the spawn to be full-swing by early to mid May, and from what I saw that was not the case. Water temps in early May were still mid 50s overnight and very low 60s by the afternoons, with most days still on the cooler side until later in the month. Around mid-may, water temps started to reliably increase and I started seeing more fish on beds or cruising flats, particularly on the western-facing shores where morning sun is abundant. Many of the cruising fish I’ve been able to pick off just blindly casting with chatterbaits and spinnerbaits worked fast through the shallows. The key has been getting into pockets where you are behind a set of “old” tules, but in front of the “new” shoreline. These areas hold the most fish right now.

Sight fishing is decent IF you can find worthwhile fish. I see anglers that will toss 10 different baits at a bed for 3 hours just to pull in a 3 or 4 pound fish. If you have the patience, great, but for me (and my clients) that’s painstaking work for a fish that could have been caught elsewhere in a variety of other ways. This is why I have never been huge on sight fishing.

Here’s my reasoning. The bigger females are typically either a) done spawning by now, or b) in very hidden areas. Rarely will I ever see a 7, 8, 9+ pound fish posted on an open sand flat. They are usually tucked way back into tules, under grass mats, in the dark corners of docks, or in the cover of deeper water. If you spend your time moving methodically around (not through) these areas and casting to these hard-to-reach spots, you’re going to eventually surprise a bigger spawning fish - one that likely isn’t pressured by a boat sitting on top of them. And to make it even more exciting, those same fish can be caught on frogs and topwater baits in low light conditions. Not seeing the fish has potentially huge advantages.

As of recently, I got sick so I’ve been off the water for a bit - plus Memorial Day crowds are usually no fun to fish in. Regardless, June is shaping up to be a great month for bass fishing. Judging by my observations and recent water temps, I think we can expect to find fish spawning through late June, with opportunities to catch post-spawners too as the water heats up. Summertime patterns are coming where you can bet on an early/late topwater bite, weeds are going to start filling out the shallows, and algae blooms will get into high gear. Night fishing should be great too!

We also have the WON Bass Open coming to town June 7th - this is a big one, folks! We’ll see how it plays out.

I do still have some dates available for June, if you are interested in fishing Clear Lake this is a great year to visit. Click here to see available dates.

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Tight lines!

-Matt