Irvine Lake trouters score rainbows to 14-4

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

The inclement weather that blew through over the weekend at Irvine Lake gave trollers the edge during the lake’s now-legendary "pre-frontal" period, reported Pro Team leader Marlon Meade. "One of our Pro Team members, Ken Lewis, had a monster stringer of trout that totaled 26-1, using a firetiger-color Rapala CD05. Lewis had 7- and 6-pounders as his 'kicker' fish. Saturday’s fishing was absolutely wide-open, with very few anglers on the lake."

Meade continued, "Lots of good solid catches are also being made on the Mice Tails and Pinched Crawler baits. Best colors have been the red/chartreuse and white/pink combinations in the Mice Tails, and adding a white Gulp! Garlic Salmon Egg to the Pinched Crawler has been a hot tip. They are working even better if you use a slow-crawling retrieve instead of just dead-sticking them."

Most of the trout on the stringers were quality-grade rainbows in the 2- to 5-pound range, with a light assortment of larger 'bows to 14 pounds, along with some exotic brown trout and steelhead to keep it interesting.

Trollers found good numbers of fish at mid-lake, Santiago Flats and along the west shoreline. Bait dunkers did best at Trout Island, Boat Dock Cove and Woody’s Cove.

Bass anglers are finding that the cold weather is holding their quarry in deep water, but good numbers of 1- to 5-pound largemouth are on tap for those skilled at deepwater tactics. This week’s whopper bass of over 8 pounds was caught down at 45 feet.

Some incidental crappie are still being caught by trout trollers, but no schooling behavior is happening with the slabs yet. Families with children age 12 and younger are finding decent numbers of 1- to 3-pound trout in the Kids Lagoon.

Outstanding catches of the week included:

-- Jeff Martin of Long Beach, 14-4 rainbow trout on Power Bait at Trout Island.
-- John Johnstone of Covina, 3-14 brown trout on nightcrawlers at Boat Dock Cove.
-- Rob Russo of Huntington Beach, 5-6 steelhead on nightcrawlers a Boat Dock Cove.
-- Joshua Williams of Los Angeles, 20-12 carp on nightcrawlers at the flats.
-- Don Spencer of Diamond Bar, 8-8 largemouth bass (released) on a jig at the west shore.
-- Ken Lewis of Long Beach, five-trout limit totaling 26-1, topped by a 7-1 rainbow, on Rapalas at mid-lake.

Photo: Bob Fowler of Seattle landed this lunker 12-pound rainbow on limetwist powerbait at Boat Dock Cove. Credit: Irvine Lake

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Irvine Lake’s big trout clog the scales

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

Trout anglers at Irvine Lake over the Presidents Weekend holiday were marveling at the average size of the fish, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "On Saturday alone, we had 39 trout over 4 pounds weighed in; that’s 42% of the people who entered the tournament! On Sunday, anglers with 4-pounders weren’t even bothering to weigh in for the tournament; it took at least a 5-pounder to even make it to the top 10."

The most productive baits continue to be the new Power Bait Mice Tails and Gulp! Pinched Crawlers. Best colors for the Mice Tails have been the white/bubblegum, glow, and red/orange; while the top Pinched Crawlers have been chartreuse and natural nightcrawler.

Splitshot-style has been the top rigging method, although Carolina rigging and dropshot-rigging have also worked well. To date, nobody has attempted to wacky-rig the Mice Tails, but it remains a possibility.

Irvine Lake trout to 11-6 on the chew; trophy rainbow and steelhead plants this week

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

Good trout action greeted Irvine Lake anglers this week, despite rainy midweek conditions, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "We have had too many 3- to 5-pounders weighed in to even keep track of," observed Getty. "They have really been whacking them right out in front [of the Pro Shop]."

Getty added, "For the President’s Day holiday this week, we will have two special trout stockings. The first will be another load of rainbow trout in the 10- to 20-pound 'super lunker' category. The second will be a batch of drag-sizzling steelhead in the 7- to 10-pound range."

Daniela Gavaldon at the Pro Shop also advised anglers, "With the rain we are having right now, the lakeside roads are currently closed to vehicle traffic. It usually takes 24 to 48 hours drying time after the rain stops before they can reopen. Be sure to call the Pro Shop [714 649-9111] for up-to-the-minute road conditions."

The hottest trout baits continue to be the Power Bait Mice Tails and Gulp! Pinched Crawlers. Irvine Lake Pro Team leader Marlon Meade has been perfecting the techniques being used with the Mice Tails.

Irvine Lake lunker trout going off big time

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

Beautiful quality-grade trout were the rule this week at Irvine Lake, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The trout bite has just been insane on big fish. We have had countless trout in the 5- to 9-pound class, and quite a few were even bigger than that. We also had a five-trout limit that totaled over 27 pounds, and a 14-4 trout caught by a 7-year-old kid!"

Getty added, "Just before Presidents [Day] weekend [Feb. 19-21], we will have two special trout stockings. The first will be another load of rainbow trout in the 10- to 20-pound 'super lunker' category. The second will be a batch of drag-sizzling steelhead in the 7- to 10-pound range."

Most of the trout on the stringers this week were beautiful 2- to 8-pound rainbows, with a surprising number of larger-grade rainbows from 9 to 14 pounds. A few exotic brown trout to 6 pounds and steelhead to 8 pounds also added variety.

The hottest baits for trout were Berkley Mice Tails and Pinched Crawlers. The Irvine Lake Pro Team has been fine-tuning the best presentations, and demonstrated that an exceptionally productive technique is slow trolling.

Irvine Lake roads dry out and trout keep biting; trophy 14- to 20-pound trout plant slated for Presidents Day weekend

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

The fast-moving storms that arrived just before noon on Sunday are a distant memory, reported Daniela Gavaldon at the Pro Shop. "All of our lakeside roads are dry and open to vehicle traffic again," observed Gavaldon. "I have weighed in a lot of 5- to 7-pound trout on Tuesday and today [Wednesday]."

Prospects for next week's Presidents Day holiday weekend just got brighter, as lake manager Dave Noyes announced, "Just before the holiday, we will plant another batch of the super lunker-grade rainbow trout, weighing from 14 to well over 20 pounds. We are hoping that the lake record may be broken."

Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop added: "The lake is completely full again. We’ve got so much water that the lake is going to remain at full pool up until mid-summer. The conditions will be great for all of the species that spawn in the lake."

Most of the trout on the stringers were quality-grade rainbows in the 2- to 7-pound class. An assortment of larger rainbows to over 14 pounds, along with some browns to 6 pounds and steelhead to 4 pounds made every hookup exciting.

Irvine Lake trouting highlighted by 12-6 rainbow

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

Good overall trout action was also found at Irvine Lake this week, observed the lake’s Pro Team leader, Marlon Meade. "There were a lot of nice trout caught this week," said Meade. "The troll bite was very good, and the fish are cruising the shoreline in the shallows. Boat Dock Cove and Trout Island have been best for shorecasters, with the water at Woody’s Cove being a little bit dirty. With the fish still in spawn mode, the feeding behavior is keying on roe colors. Atomic Teasers are working especially well."

The trout on the stringers continue to be mostly quality-grade rainbows in the 2- to 7-pound range, mixed in with a moderate number of brown trout and steelhead. A few large 'bows from 8 to 12 pounds kept things very interesting.   

Irvine Lake big-fish explosion topped by massive 20-4 rainbow, biggest of the season so far

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

The action on big trout exploded this week at Irvine Lake, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "We had a monster 20-4 rainbow weighed in; it’s our biggest trout of the season so far,"  Getty enthused. "It was caught at Boat Dock Cove on an orange 3-inch Berkley Power Trout Worm by Mario Garcielita of Whittier, who saw the fish jumping around a couple of times during the afternoon and did not give up in trying to hook it. He was using just 2-pound test line and landed the fish in about 10 minutes."

Getty continued, "There were too many big trout between 5 and 8 pounds to even keep track of this week; we had over 100 trout above 5 pounds on Saturday and Sunday alone! The trout bite overall has been very good, and it is about a 50-50 ratio of bait fish to troll fish for the boat anglers. The bite for shore anglers has also been very good at Boat Dock Cove and Woody’s Cove. We are also seeing a few more brown trout showing up on the stringers."

Irvine Lake at max water level; first stocking of 14- to 20-pound trophy rainbows go in

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

The water level at Irvine Lake is still as full as it can get, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The spillway is still trickling over, but will run strongly again anytime it rains." observed Getty. "Expect the water level to be high for a long time."

Getty added, "The first batch of 14- to 20-pound trophy rainbows also went into the lake this week, and I saw one fish that was every bit of 25 pounds. All of the big ones looked good and healthy. We will have another bunch of these monster trout just before the MLK holiday weekend.

"The overall trout bite is still decent, with the 'old school' nightcrawler under a bobber trick being the best thing going right now, especially over at Woody’s Cove. The trollers have also started catching fish by sticking with very bright colors like firetiger and hot pink."

Bait dunkers soaking Power Bait did best with very bright colors, with extra garlic spray added to help the fish zero in on it in the stained water. Ditto trollers going with the brightest-possible Rapala colors, like firetiger, hot pink, and clown (chartreuse/red).

Productive bait-fishing spots included Boat Dock Cove, Trout Island, and Woody’s Cove; while trolling spots included mid-lake, Santiago Flats and along the west shoreline.   

Irvine Lake trout keep biting; footbridge to base of Trout Island completed

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

Anglers found Irvine Lake as full as it gets this week, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The trout kept right on biting this week, and we were able to complete the footbridge over to the base [not the point] of Trout Island," Getty said. "The fish were mostly holding right on the bottom, or up near the surface. An old-school method that was really working was the tried-and-true nightcrawler under a bobber. Trollers should stick with very bright lure colors like firetiger and flame, due to the discolored water conditions."

Getty added, "We will close the lakeside roads when they get soaked. It takes about 24 to 48 hours' drying time after the rain stops before we can reopen them. Call the Pro Shop [(714) 649-9111] for up-to-the-minute road conditions. Boat launching is no problem, and we are now allowing float tubes back out on the water."

Productive trout fishing locations included the newly accessible Trout Island, the western shoreline, the flats and Boat Dock Cove. Bait dunkers did especially well using nightcrawlers under a bobber, but the standard Power Bait and Gulp! offerings also tallied fish. The majority of trout on the stringers were rainbows in the 2- to 4-pound range.  

Irvine Lake full to the brim, will be open on New Year's Day

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

Last week's wild weather filled Irvine Lake to the brim, reported general manager Dave Noyes. "We are very happy to report that all of our buildings, facilities and rental boats were undamaged during last week's intense weather," Noyes said. "We had to delay last week's scheduled trout plant, but will be putting in a full 5,000 pounds this week; most of them will be 2 to 5 pounds, but some bigger fish to 8 pounds will be included. The water level is currently going over the spillway, Trout Island is again an island, and we are working hard to construct the foot bridge to give shore anglers access to that area as soon as the weather permits.

"Both rental and private boats are launching with no problems, but we are currently not allowing float tubers on the water. The water level is intermittently going over the spillway, and the former Kids Lagoon is conjoined with the main lake, so we are permitting all anglers to fish in the Lagoon area for now."

Noyes added, "We will be open on New Year's Eve until 5 p.m., and open our regular Saturday hours of 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on New Year's Day, so come on out and catch the first fish of the year!"

Irvine Lake reopens after storms

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

The recent wild weather caused Irvine Lake to close completely on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, but the lake is open as of Thursday for shore fishing only, reported Jimmy Getty at the pro shop. "We had almost 21 inches of rain from this storm," observed Getty. "The lake is completely full, and water is going over the spillway, but all of our facilities, buildings, and equipment are intact.

"We will be open today for shore fishing only -- no rental or private boats will be allowed out on Thursday. On Christmas Eve we should be able to resume normal boat-launching and rental operations. The lake will be CLOSED on Christmas Day and open normal hours [6 a.m. to 4 p.m.] on Sunday, Dec. 26."

Getty added, "The lakeside roads are currently closed to vehicle traffic. It usually takes about 24 to 48 hours drying time after the rain stops, before the roads can reopen. Be sure to call the pro shop [714-649-9111] for up-to-the minute road and water conditions."

For anglers planning ahead: On New Year’s Eve, the lake will close at 5 p.m. and on New Year’s Day, the regular Saturday hours of 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be in effect.

Before the storms hit, most of the trout were quality-grade rainbows in the 2- to 7-pound class. A nice assortment of larger rainbows to 12 pounds, along with some colorful exotics, are spicing up the stringers. Productive spots included the west shore, Boat Dock Cove, Santiago Flats, and mid-lake.

Irvine Lake 14-2 rainbow trout is biggest of season so far; plant of 15- to 20-pound giants slated

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

Anglers found that Irvine Lake's trout population had spread throughout the lake, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "Both boat anglers and shore anglers were doing well this week," observed Getty. "Both trolling and bait fishing presentations were also catching fish. Trollers were doing best by toplining, the leadcore line was not needed. A few anglers saw some really large trout over 15 pounds boiling way back in Santiago Flats, but they were not in the mood to bite. The 14-2 rainbow that came to the scales is our biggest so far this season."

General manager Dave Noyes added some exciting news, "As part of the regularly-scheduled 5,000-pound plant just before Christmas Day, we will include 1,000 pounds of gigantic 15- to 20-pound rainbows. Additionally, the months of January, February and March will include about 3,000 pounds per month of these huge fish, for a total of some 10,000 pounds by the end of the season." 

Most of the trout were rainbows in the 2- to 7-pound class, with a sprinkling of larger fish and a few exotics spicing up the stringers.