A south-westerly has held for 17 hours, running warmer than the water (16°C air against 10°C water). Expect fish at the north-eastern end — the bank it is blowing into — where the drift piles food, colour and warmth together. This reads the upper water, though — a bottom bait at range feels it far less than a floater or a fish in the margins. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.
Start with Viva (10-12) on a figure-of-eight with occasional strip. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely. When no hatch is visible, a buzzer team — black stripped quill on the point, attractor or pearl-rib on the top dropper — is the default starting point on any UK stillwater.
A fry-imitating pattern stripped through the margins can save a blank in autumn.
Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.
Good ripple suits both bank and boat. Bank: work inflows, dam walls, and points. Boat: broadside drift covering wind lanes.
Hatch predictions
Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.
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Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
A reasonable day here, though cloud isn't quite in the sweet spot.
Big reservoir up in the Lassen country, and the whole calendar bends around one thing: the early-summer Hexagenia hatch. Those big mayflies come off at last light in June, and the browns and rainbows that ignore you all day suddenly lose their composure — be on the water at dusk or don't bother coming. The rest of the year you fish the cold-water "springs" lies with damsels, leeches and streamers. It fishes year-round, but June evenings are the event everyone drives in for.
Fish consumption: Consumption advisory (Mercury) — fish for sport, not the table.
EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Almanor Lake' (CAL5184100020020418094956), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Fully Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Mercury. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.
Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.
EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · CAL5184100020020418094956
Big reservoir up in the Lassen country, and the whole calendar bends around one thing: the early-summer Hexagenia hatch.
A south-westerly has held for 17 hours, running warmer than the water (16°C air against 10°C water). Expect fish at the north-eastern end — the bank it is blowing into — where the drift piles food, colour and warmth together. This reads the upper water, though — a bottom bait at range feels it far less than a floater or a fish in the margins. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.
Start with Viva (10-12) on a figure-of-eight with occasional strip. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely. When no hatch is visible, a buzzer team — black stripped quill on the point, attractor or pearl-rib on the top dropper — is the default starting point on any UK stillwater.
A fry-imitating pattern stripped through the margins can save a blank in autumn.
Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.
Good ripple suits both bank and boat. Bank: work inflows, dam walls, and points. Boat: broadside drift covering wind lanes.
Hatch predictions
Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
A reasonable day here, though cloud isn't quite in the sweet spot.
Big reservoir up in the Lassen country, and the whole calendar bends around one thing: the early-summer Hexagenia hatch. Those big mayflies come off at last light in June, and the browns and rainbows that ignore you all day suddenly lose their composure — be on the water at dusk or don't bother coming. The rest of the year you fish the cold-water "springs" lies with damsels, leeches and streamers. It fishes year-round, but June evenings are the event everyone drives in for.
Fish consumption: Consumption advisory (Mercury) — fish for sport, not the table.
EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Almanor Lake' (CAL5184100020020418094956), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Fully Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Mercury. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.
Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.
EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · CAL5184100020020418094956
