Fishing at Lake Del Valle has been good for Catfish and Trout this week.

Weather: weather at the lake has been getting warmer. The water temperature is at 71 degrees which is perfect for fishing.

Clarity of water: The water is clear around the marina and the father you go to the dam the better the water clarity will get.

Hot spots: The hot spot has verb the lower narrows and the dam this week.

What bait to use:
Stripers- anchovies and sardines, another way to get them ins to lure fish with lure that replicate shad or any bait fish.

Catfish- chicken liver, anchovies, sardines, and night crawlers. Catfish ten to not be interest in any lures.

Trout- Powerbait, worms have been working well. Trout also love lures such a Panther Martins, Kastmasters, Rooster Tails and all types off small spinners.

Largemouth/Smallmouth- plastic worms have been a good choice, another good choice is jigs or drop shots.

Crappie/Panfish- Nightcrawlers, red worms, and little micro jigs have been working as well.

Fish Plants:
4/27- 750 lbs. Mt Lassen Trout
5/6 1000lb.s Mt Lassen Trout

Here is a report from our own Dr. Al Hurwitz:

Al Hurwitz of Saratoga and Abbey Lev of Sunnyvale trolled the lake on May 6th. We trolled Split J-9 Rapala and 1/4 oz Panther Martin Spinned lures trying to catch smallmouth bass. The lures were trolled 15 feet below the surface in 25-30 feet of water columns. We applies scents to all the lures. One smallmouth was caught trolling the eastern shore of Heron Bay where the water was clear. We also have a couple of other strikes in other sections of the lake, but they day was slow. Windy conditions made the trolling difficult.

It is great to see the lake up to normal levels and the water clarity greatly improving. The surface water temperature in the northern section of the reservoir is 3-4 degrees colder than by the marina reflecting a need for equilibration to take place throughout the lake. Presumably, this temperature difference 67 vs 70 is likely due to colder water being pumped into the northern section of the watershed. I think by June this equilibration should be complete, and that trolling for smallies will be successful as it has been over the years.

As always your office and mania staff were extremely helpful in getting us on and off the lake.
All the best, Dr. Al Hurwitz.