Fishing Report For Lake Mendocino, CA

Current Report: Fair To Good

Largemouth bass here are are caught on a wide variety of lures here. Expect good fishing this year, with plenty of bass over 3 pounds being caught regularly.

WINTER. Winter isolates largemouth around slightly deeper structure, flats, points and creek channels. They can be found from 15 to 40 feet deep, around main-lake channel edges, rock piles, stump fields and brush piles. Often, some of the larger bass will isolate away from the school, in 5 to 10 feet deeper water. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring. Slow presentations with drop shots, jigs or finesse worms are often the key to getting bites. On warmer days, especially during late afternoons, bass may move a bit shallower to feed.

SPRING. Once water temperatures rise into the low 60's, largemouth will move from deep wintering holes, to shallower water nearby spawning areas. Anglers report good topwater action from mid Spring through Summer, especially early in the morning, and on cloudy days. Vibrating jigs, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits typically get bites just away from the shoreline. At this time they are feeding aggressively in about 1 to 12 feet of water, and preparing for the spawn. Once water warms into the mid to high 60's, they will move into 2 to 6 feet of water, and create nests, then lay their eggs. Immediately afterwards, females move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move to slightly deeper water, around 10 to 25 feet deep. Deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating jigs, plastic worms, jigs, spoons, and swimbaits catch bass during this period.

SUMMER. Water temperatures will warm considerably in Summer. Bass will feed shallow, early and late in the day, where they will be caught in 2 to 10 feet of water, on topwater lures, square-bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits and a variety of other lures. Wacky-rigged stick worms always catch finicky bass when the bite is slow. During Summer, keep an eye on the thermocline to determine the maximum depth to fish, as there is very little oxygen below the thermocline. Largemouth bass here feed on shad, herring, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, channel edges, and ledges 10 to 30 feet deep. Some of the best reports seem to be from anglers fishing around docks and islands near the mid-lake narrows.

FALL. When Fall arrives, bass here will follow schools of baitfish into coves and shallow bays where crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits have been successful in prior years. Anglers typically have success in 5 to 25 feet of water, around points and shallow flats leading to deeper water. As deeper water cools, bait and bass move out to ledges, channel edges, points and humps where flutter spoons are often the ideal bait. Some of the larger bass will seclude themselves from the school, in 5 or more feet deeper water.

Current Report: Fair To Good

WINTER. In Winter, stripers again hang out in deeper water and feed close to the bottom, often as deep as 40 feet. The area around Miti Campground, south to the dam, is where a lot of striped bass are being caught now. Warm, sunny afternoons occasionally draw stripers shallower, to around 20 or 30 feet deep as they feed on roaming schools of threadfin shad. The main lake basin, along deep channels is holding schools of stripers, especially in the section of lake around the dam. Locate schools of bait, then look for stripers close by. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice stripers are caught while drift fishing with live bait or cut bait. Spoons, blade baits, and heavy hair jigs are also effective this time of year. Due to the stripers slower metabolism, anglers are triggering more strikes by working baits more slowly.

SPRING. Water temperatures are return to the mid 60's, and that's ideal for the stripers to spawn. In Spring, work the upper end of the lake, and the backs of coves, where there is inflowing water. If they spawn, this is where they will lay eggs in the moving water. They also move into transition zones on the main lake, in 8 to 20 feet of water, feeding on shad which are moving toward the shallows. Expect to locate them on mid-depth ledges, flats or points.

SUMMER. Summer months are the ideal time to chase striped bass here. These stripers hang out in deeper water during the heat of the day, 12 to 30 feet deep, especially around submerged islands and saddles in the north arm. Much of the time they are holding over deeper, open water. Morning often draws the stripers shallower, so look for them around the 10-foot range as they feed on roaming schools of baitfish. Being successful at fishing for stripers in Summer is a matter of locating schools of bait, and the wolf packs of stripers are likely to be nearby. Later in Fall, expect to locate schools 20 to 35 feet deep. Fish finders, and sonar electronics, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice stripers are being caught while trolling or drift fishing. Spoons, blade baits, crankbaits, live bait and cut bait are all effective here.

FALL. In Fall, stripers return to shallower water. Early in the day stripers chase bait to the surface and feed aggressively, making this an excellent time for topwater action. They follow schools of bait, which are hanging out in 5 to 25 feet of water. Look for shallow water nearby deeper river channels, and fish them thoroughly. Most any lure that resembles shad will catch striped bass at this time of year. Late Fall will find most of the stripers in 30 to 35 feet of water.

Current Report: Fair To Good

WINTER. Once the shallows start cooling rapidly, crappie will migrate to deeper holding areas, mostly off shore. At this time they are typically caught using a very slow presentation, in 15 to 35 feet of water. Most are caught around deep brush piles, creek channel bends, submerged timber in the north arm, and main-lake structure. If they are suspending in open water, they often relate to some cover, or structure change, directly below them. During warming trends, especially warm afternoons, they are drawn into 8 to 15 feet of water to feed.

SPRING. In early Spring, crappie begin staging in 4 to 15 feet of water, just outside spawning bays and shallow flats. Spring is prime time to be on the water, as both black crappie and white crappie have moved shallow to spawn. At that time, they are typically caught in 3 to 8 feet of water. Vegetation, brush and wood are where most anglers catch crappie, using small crappie jigs or grubs. After the spawn, crappie typically move outside the spawning area and hold on cover close by, in 12 to 20 feet of water. Early and late in the day they are being caught in 3 to 8 feet of water. Once they move deep, anglers report success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover. Light tackle, with 4 lb to 8 lb line, is a popular choice.

SUMMER. Water temperatures get quite warm, and crappie fishing is usually pretty good. They feed in 4 to 12 feet of water early and late in the day, until the hot Summer sun causes them to retreat to depths of 8 to 24 feet. Also, many have embedded in the shade of slightly shallower vegetation. This is a good time to focus around brush piles, standing timber, and deep lay downs. Anglers are also locating schools of crappie hanging over deep structure and around creek channel edges, using fish-finder electronics.

FALL. Baitfish, which are moving into shallow flats, coves and bays, are drawing crappie into these areas. They are feeding heavily in preparation for the cold Winter, in 6 to 20 feet of water. They move up and down in the water column throughout the day, shallower in warm afternoons. Minnows, hair jigs, and crappie jigs, are good options during this feeding marathon. Late fall starts the migration deeper, toward winter holding areas, for both crappie and baitfish. Small flutter spoons, fished in 15 to 25 feet of water, are a good option during this transition. Good results are coming around points, flats, mouths of creek channels, and brush piles.