Stockton Lake Fishing Report

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

Stockton Lake Fishing Report

08/26/2011

Lake Surface Temp 85

Lake level 863.37 Normal 867

Water condition is normal to clear

With the low water level, you need to be very careful when boating around flats and points.

Walleye have been biting great. Fish around flats, points, and channel drops with 1/8 oz jigs tipped with crawlers. I have had several trips in the last month where we have caught up to 20 walleye in 4 hours. If you can locate the fish, you might have to weed through a few short ones, but we are catching some really good walleye. If you can’t get them to hit the crawlers, a spoon ripped across the bottom of the lake in 20 foot of water is also working good. To catch walleye this time of year you need to stay in water over 15 foot deep and I personally don’t fish in more than 25 foot of water.

Crappie is another great choice for fishing right now. Main lake brush piles in 15-20 foot of water are producing some excellent fish. In the past 4 weeks we have been catching keepers probably in the ratio of 10 to 1 short. Minnows seem to be the bait of choice for these fish, and they don’t really need to be big minnows. I have tried jig fishing several times, and even talked with some people that have been using jigs, but it’s just not working very good right now. If you decide to go crappie fishing, bring a few minnows just in case. We are catching several fish over 12”, and that makes for a fun day of fishing.

Bass are hitting jigs and large worms in 20’ brush piles from the twin bridges area to the the crab tree area. Work the lures through the brush piles slowly. You really need to use the graph and get the lure in the shady part of the brush. This is a great bass lake and a great time of year to catch some big fish. It will take some time to find the right places and the right presentation, but it will pay off with some work. Fish up to 6 lbs are being caught in these brush piles.

Catfish are still hitting fresh shad fished on a plain crappie hook drifted across the flats in 15 to 20 foot of water. Again, some good size fish are being caught. Just let the wind blow the boat along the flats or across points and stay close to the fishing rod.

White bass are surfacing in the evenings on flats and points from the twin bridges to the dam. I haven’t been up the little sac to verify, but I’m sure you can find them up there too. Just watch for the fish chasing shad in large schools and throw rooster tails, rattle traps, or about anything into the middle of the feeding fish. I had a 4 year old catch a 14” white all by himself using a square bob underwear fishing rod (or something like that) The thing was so stiff I couldn’t even tell he had a fish on it, but he knew. It’s a great time of year to have a fishing rod close if the kid is in the boat with you. If you have never seen the white bass chasing shad you can’t mistake it for anything else. If it’s a large school of the whites, it looks like the water is boiling all around you.

Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions and good luck fishing!!