Rancho Seco Report

[JAWallace]

Three trips in 10 days, overall the lake is on fire. You can get dozens of panfish, all of them really large, mostly crappie with the huge bluegill mixed in. Trout have been tough but today I landed one that might have gone 5 lbs. just after a huge LMB, only 3-4 lbs. but a terrific fighter for some reason. Got both on a 4 wt. glass rod so it was tip to cork for both.

It's not crowded, but you have to look for the fish as they are definitely in pods. The bass are NOT on the shore as we'd expect, and most people are fishing the banks and getting nothing except dinks. Look for them in 10-13' along with the panfish. Trout are closer to shore than usual for this time of year there. WT is 65° or so, and cloudy days are best.

Good news for boaters--we can now fish on boats with gas motors, but you can't use them. Great for moving around in comfort and sight fishing. I'll be up there 2x a week until it starts to die off. Judging from the bass which appear to be in pre-spawn still, that's going to be awhile before it winds down. Good luck!

Sorry no pics, iPhone died on me.

John

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think this is an overlooked fishery by many.

It is a nice attractive place south of Sacramento with normally very clear water.

This has been a favorite place for years for some top local veteran fly fishers like Mike Monroe and Chuck Campana.

Mike use to fish a Casual Dress nymph and Chuck used a floating line and 15 foot leader.

This time of year, as John has noted, you have the winter planted trout still surviving and the bass and pan fish are feeding up getting ready to spawn.

You can do some limited wading but a float tube, pontoon, kayak, canoe or small boat is a great advantage.

Go soon so you can see it when it is fishing well.

During the week would be a good idea for less pressure.


https://www.smud.org/en/about-smud/community/recreational-areas/rancho-seco-lake.htm

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[Bryan Morgan]

Sounds like a great place for a Pram

[JAWallace]

Update on the boating policy, they've dropped it. We were up yesterday with the Whaler ready to go and got shut out as apparently some genius had torn off the cover they required from his prop and was running the lake with the big motor, so he ruined it for the rest of us. Float tube or kayak it, use a boat without a gas motor on it, or rent a beater skiff with an electric troller there.

[JD2105]

Do you have recommendations on flies to use?

Never fly fished Rancho Seco but going to give it a go since it's so close to home.

[JAWallace]

I have heard white is a good color there.

Gene Goss uses his multi-color maribou leech and does well for trout

You're in pretty good shape with an olive or black bugger for most anything there. You can use a point nymph like a blood midge, but if you're fishing the weeds you'll get hung up more. I would tie one on if you're stripping for trout.

Haven't seen any definitive hatches yet, except for some #20 or so midges, nothing too prolific.

[Scott V]

Do you have recommendations on flies to use?

Never fly fished Rancho Seco but going to give it a go since it's so close to home.

black wiggle tail! I'll be out there Saturday. Type 4 and intermediate line for trout, bluegills and crappie, for bass I go deeper with a type 8 and 4 to 6 inch baitfish patterns.

[JAWallace]

Scott's comments are consistent with my findings for bass--they are not where you might expect them this time of year, and still largely in prespawn judging from their appearance. Those on the shore are dinks, same with the panfish. Odd because in Folsom they've been in 3-5' for a couple of weeks now. Everything except for trout are pretty deep, 10' to 20'. I've used an intermediate line for most everything as there are a lot of suspended fish currently, probably weather related. You can graph a lot of fish on the bottom at 20' and that takes a faster sinking line. Best depth for me has been around 12', trout shallower.