Pleasant Valley Reservoir, CA Fishing Report

Tubing near the inlet has been very productive using wooly buggers and matukas in olive and black. Most of what is being caught is the stockers. A 15' type III sink tip will do the trick.

Tubing near the inlet has been very productive using wooly buggers and matukas in olive and black. Most of what is being caught is the stockers. A 15' type III sink tip will do the trick.

Pleasant Valley Reservoir and the Gorge have really picked up the last week as the level at PV has dropped and big numbers of planted and hold overs have migrated up into the transition area and river below the power house.  Dry/dropper bead head combos with a good ole tiger midge or Assassin birds nest as your nymphs will put the hurt on the pods feeding on the huge midge and BWO hatches coming off currently.  Tubers are also enjoying some good catching using the still water nymphing method with chironomid imitations along the drop-offs or trolling full sinking lines from the launch ramp to the inlet area with streamer patterns in the #8-12 range.

It appears that the high water level will be a constant this winter.  We are still flooded into the trees.  The short river section below the power house has good numbers of rainbows right now and is fishing  well.  Dry/dropper bead head combos are best in my opinion.  I have a hard time trying to beat a dark tiger midge #18-16, or a dark Assassin birds nest right now suspended under a Stimulator or high vis para BWO #14-16.  Freeze tubing from the launch ramp towards the inlet can also be productive, however it is damn cold people and you need a full sinking #5 to get those flies down 15 feet quickly.  Streamers with red or orange built into them are good choices.

Conditions have not changed much since my last update.  The rez proper remains at a very high level and is flooded well back into the trees making access difficult and just not any fun to fish the transition section between the lake and river below the power house.  The short but sweet moving water section just below the PH has good numbers of rainbows holding in the deeper pocket water, and a dry dropper combo using a Stimulator, high-vis mayfly, or para post BWO as the upper and an olive crystal zebra or tiger midge #18-16 or Assassin birds nest as the bead head nymph below will get you grabs.  Freeze tubing is also good from the launch ramp section towards the inlet.  Use full sinks #4 or 5 to get down quickly.  With the cooler weather the fish have moved deeper into the blanket water areas.  Loebergs and Spruce-A-Bus are good choices here.  Work along the drop-offs on the west side.  Still water nymphing has slowed; however if we get a warm snap after the fronts pass dont neglect bringing along your floating line and a selection of chironomids.  PV fishes very much like Crowley and big number days using the still nymphing technique can occur even during the winter months.

The level is way the heck up there but reports are very good from the Rez while still water nymphing with tiger midges near the inlet. Local Seth Cline reports he spanked 35 in a single day here recently using midge patterns.  Hard to say if the LADWP will keep the levels this high, the last couple of winters we have seen these higher conditions here and it may well represent a new trend in water management.  The down side here is that access in tough on the service road side because the dense foliage and trees making long back casts nearly impossible.  Roll casting is a must here and you really need to be careful near the banks.  The drop-off is very steep and in many areas near the inlet well over your head, or at least above the waders.  The warm weather has consistent hatches daily with both mayflies and chironomids emerging.  Tubing is also good right now from the launch ramp and towards the inlet.  Full sinks and streamers trolled along the drop-offs will pay-off.  Still water nymphing can also be good.  Fish it Crowley style  look for 10-12 feet most days.

The Gorge is ice/snow free and also providing consistent action with dry/dropper bead head combos being a good choice.  The baetis are also coming off here, stick to the deeper pools and runs making upstream casts mending your fly line towards the center of the channel to prevent lining the fish with this type of presentation.  This is a fun time of year to fish down here if you dont mind rock hopping and moderate hiking.

PV has been really high lately and this has crushed some great weather and no power generation opportunities.  Can't tell you what's in store for the transition area; however the small creek and gorge are fishing great right now.  These areas resemble a small East Walker in a way.  Rocky, willow lined, crystal clear water with a bunch of riffles and long slow stretches.  Excellent mayfly and chironomid activity right now.  Use broken back tiger or zebra midges, assassins birds nest, or olive crystal zebra midges for nymphing. Tubing is slow according to Drifters guide Chris Basso, he says the bite was off on a recent freeze tube outing.  I know this will change in the near future, keep an eye on the level of the REZ proper.  I have a link on my resources page here.  4385 rocks!  Open year around.

Tubing near the inlet has been very productive using wooly buggers and matukas in olive and black. Most of what is being caught is the stockers. A 15' type III sink tip will do the trick.

With power generation dropping and the flows stable you will find some excellent fly fishing in the inlet and gorge sections of this area.  I enjoy fishing the transition section with a dry/dry or dry/dropper bead head combo as well as the lower gorge and small river section downstream from the generation facility.  Tiger midges and Assassins are deadly here.  you can also get some of the best dry fly action around in the pillow water near the lake.  The fish will pod up and sip adult mayflies and chironomids in the foam after the water warms a bit.  The reservoir level can fluctuate greatly here on a weekly basis, so if it is too high near the lake head back up and hike into the Gorge for some great wild brown trout fishing.  It requires accurate casting in the brush,  an upstream presentation is a must.  Another option is tubing the reservoir this time of year.  I call it freeze tubing but it can be very pleasant at times during the warmer periods.  This area is heavily planted and has some nice hold over and wild fish as well.  Streamer and still water nymphing techniques are both used effectively here-it fishes just like Crowley.  Fish the drop-offs; I prefer the far side to avoid confrontations with bank fishers. The lake can be crowded on weekends and holidays especially near the launch ramp where it is planted.  The Gorge will be less trafficked.

Tubing near the inlet has been very productive using wooly buggers and matukas in olive and black. Most of what is being caught is the stockers. A 15' type III sink tip will do the trick.

Tubing near the inlet has been very productive using wooly buggers and matukas in olive and black. Most of what is being caught is the stockers. A 15' type III sink tip will do the trick.

Everyone is after the the big one after seeing that 19lb. Brown caught recently by a Bishop resident. If you want to get the big one you gotta go big, try chucking meat like BIG Slumpbusters, Sex Dugeons and Crawdad patterns along the drop offs and ledges. You probably wont get a lot of takes but the ones you do will be good.

Tubing near the inlet has been very productive using wooly buggers and matukas in olive and black. Most of what is being caught is the stockers. A 15' type III sink tip will do the trick.

It has been disappointing the last two weeks here in the transition area due to very high lake levels that have this sweet section flooded into the trees. The gage for the lake level is not correct here, it is currently 4387? plus most days. The small river section below the powerhouse has been great using dry dropper bead head or emerger patterns & BWO or para midge adults, but it is not large enough to spend an entire day on, especially if there are other anglers on this section. Tubing has been fair near the inlet and around the launch ramp, but it got pounded over President?s Day weekend so a truck load or two of DFG fish will need to get dumped to get numbers back up again. Full sinking lines and streamers fished along the drop-offs on the west side are best. Still water nymphing here will also produce-stay down 10-13 feet and rig like you would for Crowley using midge and mayfly imitations.