Great Days at an Almost Full Collins Lake

Collins Lake is over 95% full with less than two feet ’till spill and rain in the forecast. February has given us an abundance warm sunny calm days and we’re seeing big trout reeled in every week. Most of you know we’ve been planting trout regularly since temperatures allowed back in October 2023… and we’re currently scheduled to receive plants weekly into the beginning of May. Mark Adan (above) caught his 7.25 pound rainbow trout below his campsite, #112, using Garlic PowerBait.

The rain we’ve been getting has been in short bursts, but not so much at once to turn the lake to “Chocolate Milk”, instead surface visibility is still over 4ft over the majority of the lake. That combined with a stable surface temperature around 51°F means that dragging lures near the surface has been a successful strategy for a lot of folks. Keeth and Shawn (above. left) brought in several and kept two over eight pounds! They were dragging crankbaits on the surface. Up by the inlet, where the water tends to be a little more opaque, Alex Ramirez (above, right) reeled in a massive lightning trout using a nightcrawler.

Worms worked for Nick Lucena and his buddy too, who brought in a double limit of rainbows fishing along the shoreline

Josh Cook of Willows (below, left) brought in a beautiful 8.5 pound trophy trout by tossing a Brokeback fly at the waters on the east side. Asa Barnes netted a 7lb rainbow trout trolling a shad rap just around the point from him on the North fork.

Bob Chappell & Owen Zimmerman of Penn Valley brought trout in for pictures on multiple days but we just had to show off this 5.8 pound lunker!

Mark Evans was trolling a line near the dam, using a Firetiger Rapala and he brought in a limit weighted heavily toward the right side of the brag board where a long meaty 8.25 pound fish hangs. Matt Baker’s hooks leaned left toward his trophy “lightning “golden rainbow trout, caught down in front of campsite #54.

And finally to round out the trout game Bobby B and friends from Penn Valley were all smiles, taking home five chunky trout, all caught on Yellow PowerBait.

Of course the folks who know bass know that while they’re not pictured here, there is quite a bit of catch and release happening, especially in and among the newly submerged vegetation. A week ago Mark Evans gave me a glimpse at a picture of a big crappie he caught as well, but with a limit of trout he decided to leave the crappie for another day.

They keep telling me that rain’sa coming, so hopefully by next report we’ll be blessed with a 100% full lake. Until then keep a sharp eye out for sunny days and still water, there’s been a lot lately and I’m sure there’s more just around the corner!

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