June/July 2022 Fishing Report

Lake Level: -0.8 ft rumsey and falling

Cache Creek Flow: 3.5 cu. ft/sec

Water Clarity: 2-4 ft in most areas

Water Color: Stained/green

Water Temps: 73-79 F

Precipitation: 0”

Big Fish: 4.4 lbs.

Advisories:

• Due to low water, boaters should exercise caution within a half mile of shorelines, especially on the north end. Rocks and sandbars are starting to get very shallow and may be just below the water line. Not all hazards are clearly marked.

• Many of the launch ramps around the lake remain closed due to low water. The County Park (not the State Park) is still open, although when I launched there recently my trailer was getting very close to the end of the ramp so proceed with caution. For big boats/trailers 5th Street in Lakeport is going the be the safest bet.

Report:

June and July have been exceptionally tough, which I guess is the trendy thing this year! Recent heat waves have really gotten the algae going, and I’m now seeing a lot of the thick, clumpy growth on the north end. Where it goes just depends on the wind. A lot of anglers are complaining about it, I don’t think it’s half as bad as the 2013-2014 years. Back then you could almost walk across the lake.

I’m really trying to dial in some kind of summer pattern but just haven’t been able to put a bead on it. Asking around, I’m finding that other guides and anglers are experiencing much of the same. As I stated in a previous post, I think many of us are used to fishing in close to hard structure (dock ends) during the summer, and with so many docks out of water right now, the fish have moved elsewhere and we’re left scratching our heads. Weeds offshore are the next closest refuge, and that’s where we’ve been getting most of our bites. The thing is, you can fish these weed lines both aimlessly and endlessly, so sticking with it takes a lot of patience.

Typically by July, we start seeing loads of shad activity at dawn and dusk, especially around in bays and weed pockets. I’m seeing a bit of it here and there, but it’s far below normal. This parallels last year. I’m not certain if the shad population is down or if fewer shad are spawning. The good news is, I’m still seeing TONS of bluegill on their “honeycomb” beds on almost every flat shoreline in about 12” or less of water. They are absolutely everywhere!

Sticking with topwater well into the morning has yielded some significant bites, including a solid 4 pounder that crushed a frog. Aside from that, it’s been a pretty mixed bag with occasional bites on the drop shot and shakey head. There was one day I was throwing a swim jig around some spare weeds around Lucerne, and had some luck there. Other anglers have reported success cranking rock down on the south end, I have not been down there that much but that seems about right for this time of year. Most fish caught have been in the 1-3 pound range.

Moral of the story - be happy with 1 or 2 fish per day.

Next report should be sometime in the Fall. If you’re interested in seeing more timely updates from me, please follow me on Instagram.

Tight lines!

-Matt