Hello fellow anglers. A very happy Independence day to all. Three weeks ago I made a decision to leave to take a long drive to do some fishing, since everything here was still covered in ice. And you can only do so much of Topaz Lake. We headed back up to Oregon to do some Halibut and cod fishing. This year the ocean was calmer, but we had to wait 6 days for that to happen. We made it out 26 miles, again in our 21 ft jet boat. What a ride that was. We had missed the halibut bite, but we got into black cod and caught a lot of crab. Well worth the wait. Now that I have returned, most of our higher lakes have thawed and opened for fishing.  Many of us will have a three day weekend and the roads will be full of people getting out to enjoy our celebration of independence day. Trivia Knowledge; The Congress voted to approve independence by passing the Lee Resolution on July 2 and adopted the Declaration of Independence two days later, on July 4.  We now celebrate our Independence Day on the fourth of July, but was officially voted into congress on the 2nd day of July.

As you venture out this weekend, check ahead to see if your destination will be accessible. Due to our heavy winter storms. Many areas are still closed due to snow and repairs. I highly advise not to bring any fireworks to the Sierra district. If you are caught in possession of them, many counties have a steep fine of up to $5000 and time in jail. Leave it to the professionals. Let's just enjoy a good BBQ with friends and family. Also a reminder that the California free fishing day is July 1st.

No matter where you venture out this weekend. Bring Mosquito repellent and sunscreen. Both will be needed.

SILVER LAKE HIGHWAY 88: The lake level is up and the boat ramp is open, and is advised to use at your own risk. Beware of the prop eating rocks in the lake if you are not familiar. Fishing has been fair to good for early Am anglers using Rapalas in a blk/silver or rainbow pattern. Silver Lake West Campground is Closed. The campground experienced significant damage and there are many hazard trees that need to be cleared. Crews are working on cleanup, maintenance, and repairs. They do not have an opening date at this time.

CAPLES LAKE: The Caples Lake Resort is open for cabin, boat and kayak rentals. The EID boat ramp and day use area officially opened last Friday. The lake level is at full capacity and the fishing has been very good. A few anglers have been catching browns and mackinaws. One Mackinaw came in this week at 10 lbs fishing down by the Woods Creek area. For more information stop by the Caples Lake Resort.

RED LAKE: The lake level is up and the fishing has been fair for rainbows and a few brookies. Salmon eggs or nightcrawlers have been the best presentation. Note that there is no camping allowed behind the dam, day use only. The lake was planted by CDFW last week with catchable rainbows.

WOODS CREEK DAY USE AREA: The gate is closed due to snow in the parking lot.

WOODS LAKE; Closed due to snow.

BURNSIDE LAKE: Closed at the first gate due to snow and muddy roads.

BLUE LAKES: The road is open to the 4th gate, approximately 7 miles in.

TAMARACK LAKE, SUNSET LAKES, HIGHLAND LAKES: Closed due to snow and muddy roads.

TURTLE ROCK CAMPGROUND, MARKLEEVILLE CAMPGROUND: Closed for repair from winter and the Tamarack Fire

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR: The campground is closed for the season due to the Tamarack Fire and extensive damage to the area. Fishing has been fair to good. Layla and Caylyn Walker with their uncle Stan, caught some nice rainbows on a recent trip.The lake has been planted by Alpine County and the CDFW over the last month. Green and salmon peach Powerbait has been most productive. The weeds have returned for the season and the blue green algae is a caution stage. Do not allow pets to drink  from or swim in the lake. Rinse your hands after contact with the lake. If you catch a lucky angler to catch some trout, rinse them off at home with clean fresh water. For more information stop by the Creekside Lodge.

WOLF CREEK, LOOPE CANYON: The road is closed for an extended period of time due to repairs from washouts from last winter.

WEST FORK CARSON RIVER ALPINE COUNTY: This week the flow were at 370 CFS in the Hope valley area. In Woodfords Canyon they were at 450 CFS. You can fish the valley but I advise you to stay away from the Canyon area. There are no fish plants scheduled. For more information stop by the Creekside Lodge.

EAST FORK CARSON RIVER ALPINE COUNTY:  The river has cleaned up a little with a slight green tint. But the flows were at 1700 CFS and are expected to go up over the next couple days. There are a few slack water areas that are still holding fish. Do not get into the river as the water temps are in the 40 degree range.The Carson River Resort will be featuring two bands on Monday the third of July starting around 1PM. They will be selling homemade sloppy joes and hot dogs. Great entertainment including cornhole tournaments for anyone to enjoy. The resort has tent and Rv camping available with a fully stocked general store. There are no fish plants scheduled for this week. For more information, stop by the Carson River Resort.

MARKLEEVILLE CREEK: The water flows were at170 CFS and expected to rise. No fish plants scheduled.

EBBETTS PASS, MONITOR PASS: Open with no controls.

TOPAZ LAKE: The lake level is up and the Douglas County Recreation area is open. The boat ramp is open with all the docks leveled to make an easy launch and retrieval. The real estate on the east side is getting smaller for camping as the water rises. The fishing has been slow, Renee and I ventured out this week and trolled for 4.5 hours with Rapalas and caught three nice rainbows and a smallmouth bass. I spoke to a few other anglers on the docks and they said the fishing was slow as well. Note; There is some construction on highway 395 just south of the Holbrook Jct with up to 30 minute delays. Just past the stateline is a traffic control with 5 to 15 minute delays. The Topaz marina is open for boat mooring and launching.

WEST FORK WALKER RIVER: The river was running at 2700 CFS this week and expected to rise. Stay out of the river.

EAST FORK WALKER RIVER: Down by the Bridgeport area the river was running at 100 CFS this week. And will rise over the weekend. Stay out of the river.

CARSON RIVER NEVADA SIDE: By the broken dam, the river was running at 2000 CFS and is fridged. Stay out of the river. Closer to cCarson Cut the river was running at 2700 CFS. Sorry to say, stay out of the river.

BRIDGEPORT RESERVOIR:  The lake level is up and has cleared up. The Bridgeport Marina is open for boat mooring and launching. They have full hookup and dry camping available along with boat rentals. I would suggest calling ahead to make sure they have openings. The fishing has picked up and many anglers have been coming in with full stringers of rainbow and brown trout from average sized ranging up to 7 lbs. The Sacramento perch bite has been on the rise. For more information stop by the Bridgeport Marina.

Good luck on your next fishing adventure. If you get a photo of your catch, send it to sports@recordcourier.com. Remember that campfires are only allowed in designated camp areas. Let's keep our skies blue this year. Hope to see you on the waters soon. Good fishin' and tight lines.