Collins Lake

It’s been an interesting start to October with the first real rain, which only lasted a few hours but came down heavy.  It didn’t generate much runoff so the lake water is still very clear.  Most days, the trout are still slow but occasionally we’ll see a lunker like the 4 pounder Daniel from Oregon House caught with PowerBait near the dam launch ramp.  There’s bass patrolling the rocks around the rental dock and along the rock face of the dam but they are picky eaters this time of year.

Catfish on the other had continue to eat just about anything.  Earlier this week Steve Kenitzer was hanging worms out on the rocks by the dam when a 9 pound catfish hit.   It’s a trend that’s been pretty steady all the way through the last month.  Brian Bender of Elk Grove caught three cats on worms, including 6.5lb, 9.5lb and 10.75lb fish.  Kathy & Kelvin from Oroville caught another catfish on worms near the main marina which weighed in at over 10 pounds.  And finally Thomas caught a cat too tall for him to get the tail off the ground, this time down below the volleyball courts, but again fishing with worms.

But I told you they’d eat just about anything, not just worms, a theory that John Gazaway from Yuba City confirmed when he caught an 11.25lb monster not on worms, not on chicken livers, not on sardines, but on a live crawdad!

Most days the weather is beautiful, perfect for a kayak or float tube.  And, if you’re not looking for catfish there is one thing we can do to improve the trout conditions:

Fall Trout Planting! 

We’ll start stocking the lake about a week from today.  We typically don’t publish the exact dates and times, especially as deliveries can vary a day or two depending on where they’re coming from and the lake conditions, but I can tell you that we expect to do weekly plants right on through Thanksgiving.

I hope you’re enjoying Autumn, it is a peaceful time to come up and relax, walk the shoreline, cruise the transparent shallows in a kayak or just sip a hot latte in the cool air on our back deck.  Hope we see you soon and here’s to fall fishing!

Ed