Trails Are Open to Sierra Back-Country Lakes

Warming spring days after a mild winter are providing back-country Sierra Nevada trout fishermen early access to their favorite mountain lakes.

Bishop-based hiking trout fishermen report trails are now open to back country lakes Long, Mary Louise, Bull, Green, the first four Tyees, Blue, Dingleberry and Topsy Turvy.

WILLOW BEACH--Best rainbow trout fishing between mile markers 39, 40, at Nelson’s Landing. Trolling, bait fishing both working. Markers 56, 57 best in upriver area. Good results drift-fishing near Hoover Dam.

LAKE MEAD--Best striped bass reports from lower basin sites, with fish running one to two pounds. Anchovies best bet, at 35- to 50-foot depths. Numerous reports of three- to five-pound stripers last two days. Better largemouth bass reports recently from Temple Bar, Iceberg Canyon.

BULLHEAD CITY--Guides reporting striper limits from shore or drifting below Sunshine Marina, with bait. Trollers working Lake Mohave report near limits of rainbow trout.

SALTON SEA--Good orangemouth corvina fishing at nearly all normally reliable sites, with fish averaging 8 to 10 pounds. Several from 16 to 20 pounds checked at North Shore. Good reports from Desert Shores. All-night shore fishermen report good results.

LAKE CACHUMA--Good trolling, bait-fishing results at dam. Nightcrawlers good bet. Good for largemouth bass in weedy shallows, backs of coves. Bill Sedar, Santa Barbara, two 5-8 bass with crank baits.

LAKE CASITAS--Very good trout fishing. Sixty-foot depths best bet, by dam, with cheese baits. Mike Miller, Ventura, five-trout limit weighing 14-0, largest 4-8, still-fishing at dam. Very good catfish action with cut mackerel baits in shallows at sunken island. Good bass results early mornings only with standard baits, lures.

CASTAIC LAKE--Good catfish results, to seven and eight pounds. Jim Scott, Granada Hills, Bob Peckinbaugh, Canoga Park, 45-pound catfish stringer. Some bass, trout success.

SAN DIEGO LAKES--Hodges: Continued excellent largemouth bass fishing. Eighteen bass over 9-0 weighed this week. Largest: 13-6, by Darren Houser, Poway, with shiner. El Capitan: Steady bass fishing, fair to good. Good for channel and blue catfish. San Vicente: Closes sunset, June 14. Fair bass bite with plastic worms. Fair for channel catfish. Good trolling results for trout fishermen. San Diego Charger Coach Al Saunders, son Joey and Bill Wilson, manager of Jack Murphy Stadium, 12 rainbows weighing 20 pounds. Sutherland: Slow bass fishing, but good for catfish. Bill Murphy, El Cajon, 11-4 bass with shiner. Otay: Slow, all species. Miramar: Fair for deep-water trout, others slow.

IRVINE LAKE--Good for catfish, crappie. Fair for trout, largemouth bass. Good for big catfish, but few limits.

VAIL LAKE--Good bass, catfish action. Ken Mollie, Anza, 12-8 largemouth on cut mackerel. Jeff Johnson, San Diego, 11-2 largemouth on plastic worm at north shore. H.R. Vermilyer, Santa Ana, 10-13 largemouth bass, plastic worm. Artie Darby, Whittier, 14-9 catfish. Crappie slow.

LAKE SILVERWOOD--Good for stripers, largemouth bass. Jay Anderson, Riverside, 19-0 catfish from shore near launch ramp. Largemouth bass, catfish improved.

LAKE HENSHAW--Largemouth bass best bet. Eight limits checked Wednesday. Very good for channel catfish. Crappie fishing improved.

BISHOP AREA--Good reports from shore fishermen working inlet area of South Lake. Bubble-and-fly rigs working at North Lake, evenings, for mixed stringers of rainbows, browns. Lower Owens running high, with lots of debris. Slow fishing. “Sackfuls” of Sacramento perch at Crowley Lake. Poor fishing at Pleasant Valley Reservoir.

CONVICT LAKE--Slow, some half-limits seen at lake, most from shores. Bigger fish caught by trollers. Convict Creek better bet.

JUNE LAKE--Still-fishing with eggs, cheese baits best. Some limits this week.

GULL LAKE--Brenda Hudson, June Lake, 4-4 rainbow trolling Hornberg fly. Standard lures or trolling flies best bet. Weedy area near marina best bet for fly fishing.

BRIDGEPORT AREA--Fair overall. Good reservoir fishing for 4- to 11-pound rainbows. Best area: Shore fishing from dam, with standard lures. East Walker River fair: Good conditions, but no insect hatches yet. Upper, Lower Twin Lakes good for pan-size trout only.

Saltwater

The Times accepts and publishes the catch count as a public service. Any responsibility for accuracy is that of the landing operator.

SAN SIMEON--11 anglers (1 boat): 2 ling cod, 4 rock cod, 10 red rock cod, 7 red snapper, 21 bass.

MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--42 anglers (2 boats): 28 ling cod, 45 rock cod, 175 red rock cod 15 red snapper, 116 bass, 13 cabazon, 9 halibut, 1 eel, 1 sea trout.

SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--31 anglers (3 boats): 124 calico bass, 8 sand bass, 1 halibut, 3 cabazon, 19 rockfish.

OXNARD--124 anglers (5 boats): 285 rock cod, 2 ling cod, 2 cow cod, 327 rockfish, 5 barracuda, 102 whitefish, 30 bonito, 167 calico bass.

PORT HUENEME--35 anglers (3 boats): 165 rock cod, 185 calico bass, 1 bonito, 35 rockfish.

MALIBU--38 anglers (2 boats): 33 sand bass, 69 calico bass, 70 bonito, 5 halibut.

MARINA DEL REY--90 anglers (4 boats): 8 halibut, 53 calico bass, 120 sand bass, 15 barracuda, 209 rock cod, 1 cow cod, 140 bonito.

REDONDO--95 anglers (5 boats): 3 bonito, 43 calico bass, 29 sand bass, 6 barracuda, 1 halibut, 14 whitefish, 1 sheephead, 29 mackerel, 78 rockfish. Barge--64 anglers: 29 bonito, 2 bass, 3 barracuda, 460 mackerel, 18 rockfish.

SAN PEDRO (22nd St. Landing)--63 anglers (2 boats): 1 yellowtail, 92 calico bass, 23 bonito, 70 sand bass, 73 rockfish. (Ports ‘O Call)--67 anglers (4 boats): 3 yellowtail, 190 calico bass, 14 barracuda, 15 whitefish, 22 rockfish, 31 blue perch, 196 bonito.

LONG BEACH (Belmont Pier)--32 anglers (2 boats): 9 sand bass, 58 calico bass, 3 barracuda, 15 bonito, 1 white sea bass, 100 mackerel. (Queen’s Wharf)--89 anglers (3 boats): 2 yellowtail, 66 barracuda, 445 bonito, 371 calico bass, 2 sheephead, 3 whitefish, 48 blue perch.

SEAL BEACH--14 anglers (1 boat): 30 sand dabs, 50 mackerel, 26 bonito, 21 sand bass, 13 barracuda, 82 rockfish.

NEWPORT (Davey’s Locker)--151 anglers (6 boats): 190 barracuda, 303 bonito, 5 yellowtail, 3 rock cod, 1 halibut, 282 calico bass, 162 sand bass, 107 mackerel, 3 blue shark, 2 sheephead. DANA WHARF--109 anglers (5 boats): 257 bass, 11 barracuda, 51 bonito, 1 halibut, 4 rockfish, 38 mackerel.

OCEANSIDE--67 anglers (3 boats): 244 bonito, 118 calico bass, 61 sand bass, 99 mackerel.

SAN DIEGO (H&M; landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--135 anglers (8 boats): 104 yellowtail, 3 ling cod, 15 bonito, 21 barracuda, 127 rockfish. (Seaforth)--64 anglers (3 boats): 2 bonito, 141 calico bass, 1 sand bass, 13 mackerel. (Islandia)--91 anglers (5 boats): 44 bonito, 318 calico bass, 13 sand bass, 2 mackerel.

Trout Plants

A list of waters scheduled to be planted next week by the Department of Fish and Game, weather and road conditions permitting, by counties:

LOS ANGELES--Castaic Lake, Elizabeth Lake, Jackson Lake, Little Rock Reservoir, Piru Creek (Frenchman’s Flat), Santa Fe Reservoir.

SAN BERNARDINO--Arrowbear Lake, Cucamonga Creek, Green Valley Lake, Gregory Lake, Silverwood Lake.

RIVERSIDE--Dark Canyon Creek.

SAN DIEGO--Doane Pond, San Luis Rey River.

VENTURA--Matilija Creek, Reyes Creek, Rose Valley Lakes, Santa Paula Creek, Upper Sespe Creek, Ventura River (North Fork).

SAN LUIS OBISPO--Laguna Lake, Lopez Lake.

INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle, South forks; Intake II), Cottonwood Creek, George Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Owens River (below Tinemeha), Pine Creek, Rock Creek Lake, Rock Creek (Rock Creek Lake to end of road), Shepherd Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinemeha Creek, Tuttle Creek.

MONO--Bridgeport Reservoir, Buckeye Creek, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Deadman Creek, Ellery Lake, George Lake, Glass Creek, Grant Lake, Green Creek, Gull Lake, Hilton Creek, June Lake, Lee Vining Creek, Lee Vining Creek (South Fork), Little Walker Lake, Little Walker River, Lundy Lake, Mamie Lake, Mammoth Creek, Lake Mary, McGee Creek, Mill Creek, Reverse Creek, Robinson Creek, Rush Creek, Rock Creek (Paradise Camp to Tom’s Place, Tom’s Place upstream to Rock Creek Lake), Sherwin Creek, Silver Lake, Swauger Creek, Trumbull Lake, Twin Lakes Bridgeport, Twin Lakes Mammoth, Virginia Creek, Virginia Lakes, Walker River (Chris Flat campground to town of Walker, Leavitt Meadows campground to Sonora Bridge).

KERN--Alder Creek, Cedar Creek, Erskine Creek, Kern River (Democrat Dam to KR1 powerhouse, Borel powerhouse to Democrat Dam, Isabella Dam to Borel powerhouse, KR3 powerhouse to Lake Isabella).

TULARE--Bone Creek, Deer Creek, Dry Meadow Creek, Kern River (South Fork), Kern River (Fairview Dam to KR3 powerhouse, Johnsondale Bridge to Fairview Dam), Nobe Young Creek, Peppermint Creek, Poso Creek, South Creek, Tule River (Middle Fork, North and South Forks of Main Fork, Cedar Slope area), White River.

ALPINE--Blue Lake, Carson River (East, West forks), Markeeville Creek, Pleasant Valley Creek.