Monster rainbows are coming to
Anaheim Lake for Thanksgiving
Huge plants of giant rainbow trout are on tap for this Thanksgiving weekend at Anaheim Lake.
“We’re bringing back the ‘good old days,’ and we’re confident more big trout will be caught at Anaheim and Corona lakes this week than all other lakes in California combined,” said Craig Elliott at Anaheim Lake.
The plants, which include trophy rainbow trout from 12 to 20 pounds and more, will be made at the sister waters of Anaheim and Corona on Wednesday afternoon. Anaheim Lake will close at 2 p.m. Wednesday to allow for the plants and remain closed all day on Thanksgiving day. The lake will reopen at 6 a.m. Friday morning.
Anglers had a hint of things to come this past week when four to 10-pound “teenage” rainbows were planted at Anaheim Lake, and the bite was fantastic on these mid-size trophies and the tons of one-pound rainbows that provide almost non-stop action.
The top rainbow reported was a 10 1/2-pounder landed by Anh Dao, Garden Grove, fishing a yellow dough bait at the spillway. Daniel Fernandez and Aaron Martinez, both Ontario, had trout at 10, eight, and five pounds fishing jigs from the shore near the spillway. Eythan Rosenberg, Van Nuys, was fishing a jig from a float tube at the spillway to catch a 10-pounder, and Hector Ramirez, West Covina, had a 10-pounder fishing a nightcrawler-floating bait combo at the bubble hole. J.B. and Brad Gierlich, Riverside, had 10 rainbows for a 28 1/2-pound total stringer topped with a 9 1/2-pounder. The father-son duo was fishing white jigs at the spillway. Another 9 1/2-pounder was caught by Sydney Church, Norwalk, on a nightcrawler, and James Aiken, Los Angeles, landed a nine-pound rainbow on a rainbow dough bait at the spillway.
Five-fish stringers were common and most weighed from six to eight pounds, but many had a kicker fish or two. Jeff Borg, Long Beach, had five rainbows for 18 total pounds and his best fish was a four-pounder, all on Power Worms from a float tube near the spillway. Shon Roberts, Yorba Linda, had five trout for 16 1/2 pounds, including a 5 1/2-pounder, fishing white Lip RipperZ jigs at the spillway.
The spillway has been one of the most consistent spots for quality fish and limits, but there are trout showing around much of the lake, with the north shore, pumphouse shoreline, the bubble hole, and Trout Island also good bets. The top baits were the small trout plastics, trout jigs, and floating dough baits in a variety of colors.
Trout season will continue at Anaheim Lake with huge weekly plants into the first weekend of December. When Santa Ana River Lakes’ maintenance is finished, it will reopen with huge trout plants and Anaheim will close for the season. The closing date for Anaheim is now tentatively set for around December 2, but more details will come soon on this.
Private boats, kayaks, and float tubes are allowed at Anaheim Lake, but they will be inspected for traces of water or evidence of quagga mussel contamination before being allowed on the water.
Anaheim Lake will be open seven days a week with fishing allowed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on day passes or from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on an evening pass. Each of these passes is $25. Seniors pay only $23, with a $20 special on Wednesdays. All of these passes have a five-fish limit. For kids 4 to 13, a three-fish pass is just $12. The are 24-hour passes offered each month on the Friday and Saturday nights nearest the full moon during trout season. The next weekend for this all-night fishing is Nov. 30-December 1. The 24-hour passes cost $75 and have a 15 fish limit. An angler can bring his wife and up to three kids 17 and under and all can help fill the 15-fish limit on one of these passes, and camping is free at Corona with a 24-hour pass. For Anaheim Lake fishing information, call 714-996-3508 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.

Rainbow trout bite remains hot
on small jigs at Corona Lake
The trout action remain excellent for finesse anglers tossing small jigs and plastic trout worms on light tackle at Corona Lake, and the action is nearly as good on floating dough baits and inflated nightcrawlers doused with scent. The bottom line is that many anglers are scoring full five-fish limits of trout.
The real buzz this week is about the huge plant of huge rainbows slated to go in Wednesday afternoon. These will be 12 to 20-pound Sierra Bows, and the fish will be planted after the lake closes on 2 p.m. Wednesday this week. Corona Lake will remain closed Thanksgiving Day, but reopen at 6 a.m. Friday.
The best action continues to be on small trout jigs, trout plastics, and floating dough baits fishing on light line. Top spots have been the area behind the bait shop, the whole west shoreline, at the dam, and on the far side of the lake. While the trout are averaging one to two pounds, there have been a lot of three to five-pounders in the mix.
The big fish reported this week was a five-pounder landed by James Clark, Riverside, to top off his five-fish, 15 1/4-pound limit caught on orange jigs at the dam. Conrad, Spencer, and Marc Mallada, all Lake Elsinore, had 15 trout total for 21 1/2 pounds and the best trout was a 3 1/4-pounder. All were caught on nightcrawlers behind the bait shop. Mike Hermen, Elsinore, and Chris Perrine, Vista, had 10 trout for 15 pounds, including a 2 1/4-pounder. They were caught on a nightcrawler-floating bait combo doused with Love Sauce.
Corona Lake is open seven days a week with fishing allowed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on day passes or from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on an evening pass. Each of these passes is $25. Seniors pay only $23, with a $20 special on Wednesdays. All of these passes have a five-fish limit. For kids 4 to 13, a three-fish pass is just $12. With the shift to trout season, 24-hour passes are only sold the weekend nearest the full moon. The next weekend for this all-night fishing is Nov. 30-December 1. The 24-hour passes cost $75 and have a 15 fish limit. An angler can bring his wife and up to three kids 17 and under and all can help fill the 15-fish limit on one of these passes, and camping is free at Corona with a 24-hour pass. For Corona Lake fishing information, call 951-277-4489 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.

 

Santa Ana River Lakes’ reopening
has been pushed back to Dec. 7
The maintenance at Santa Ana River Lakes is taking longer than expected and the reopening of the lakes for trout season is not expected until around Dec. 7 now.
The Kid’s Pond (Huckleberry Pond) remains open, just like it has been all summer, on a Wednesday through Sunday schedule.
Trout season is in full swing at Anaheim Lake, which is just a few blocks away from Santa Ana River Lakes, and it is being planted with trophy class rainbows from 12 to 20 pounds or more this Thanksgiving week.