The shad bait balls went deep into the main body of the lake throughout the summer and early fall. They can be found up to 150 feet deep. Last week the baitfish began their annual migration. Guide Jeff Goodwin said he hasn’t been able to find concentrations of bait in the lower lake. They began their ascent of the Sacramento and McCloud River branches. They will spend the winter months at the bottom, near the top of these river arms.

Once this weather system evolves and the barometer stabilizes for a few days, look for trout near the surface.

One of the best fall fisheries in the higher elevations is Eagle Lake. Guide Bryan Roccucci fished there before the storm arrived and did well. The trout paid attention to the leech imitations. Water temperatures have dropped to the mid-40s and Bryan expects water in the 40s after the storm.

I asked Bryan how long after the storm passed the fishing would return to seasonal normal. He bases this on location. This storm is accompanied by strong winds and large waves. This will make the shore muddy and push fish off the bank. A day or two without wind will be necessary here. Once the barometer stabilizes, it will first look for trout 10 to 20 feet deep above deep water. Then less deep with time.

For river fishermen, this first big storm of fall will knock the leaves off the trees. This is an inconvenience for fishermen and the leaves must disappear for good fishing.

The good news is about the Trinity River. Flows at Douglas City, near the top of the river, increased from 350 to more than 1,000 cfs Thursday morning. This will clear the leaves and bring more rainbow trout up the river. I expect the river to have more colors as you go down the river. As soon as the weather calms down I expect good steelhead fishing on the Trinity.

Closer to home, steelhead fishing on the Feather River has slowed, particularly in the high-flow portion of the river. My comments 2 weeks ago that the river was too low for jet boats were incorrect. Guide Tom Page, a drift boat fly fishing guide, has regularly seen 4-5 jet boats fishing the river below Afterbay Hole. Tom is a catch and release guide and jet boat guides are catch and keep, which complies with DF&W regulations. Jet boats carry up to 4 fishermen per boat and can catch up to 8 fish per day. The problem is that jet boat guides are too good at catching fish. The number of fish in this part of the river has declined significantly.

Tom spends most of his days guiding on the Lower Yuba. He notes that there are still salmon coming to spawn, but this is shaping up to be another poor year for returning salmon. Steelhead fishing on the river continues to be good. For local walk and wade fishermen, access roads to the river are closed, but if you are willing to walk, there is plenty of water with little fishing pressure.