Where To Make 2026 Your Best Trout Year Ever

The following appears in the January issue of California Sportsman:

By Cal Kellogg

As I sit at my desk watching another wave of cold rain sweep across the Sierra foothills – with snow piling deep in the high country – I can’t help but grin. This is the kind of winter that makes anglers feel like kids again – a winter of promise.

In late December, Northern and Central California were getting hammered with moisture, and that’s the best news possible for anyone who loves chasing trout and landlocked salmon in the Golden State.

Big-water years change everything. Reservoirs rise, newly flooded shorelines teem with life, forage blooms, oxygen levels stabilize, and trout and salmon respond the only way they know how – by feeding aggressively and growing fast.

When the lakes fill and stay cold deep into spring, we see a bump in survival rates, a surge in recruitment and a noticeable uptick in average size across the board. Simply put: Wet winters build strong seasons, and 2026 is shaping up to be one for the books.

From the Sacramento Valley to the crest of the Sierra, the stage is set. The rains have washed away the memory of late summer’s low waterlines, and now California’s storied trout and salmon reservoirs are brimming with possibility.

Kokanee fans can expect a banner year; trophy-trout hunters will have more targets than ever; and family anglers should find steady, dependable action. Whether you run a full-sized sled, a kayak or just favor a shoreline stroll with a spinning rod, if you fish for trout or salmon in reservoirs, this is going to be a memorable year.

What follows is a tour through a handful of standout destinations for 2026 – lakes that are poised to deliver fast action, big fish and a season full of stories worth telling.

LAKE SHASTA

The undisputed heavyweight of California’s reservoir scene, Lake Shasta is a sprawling, 30,000-acre inland sea tucked into the rugged northern end of the state. Formed in 1945 with the completion of Shasta Dam, the lake quickly became a powerhouse fishery, and in wet years like 2026, Shasta shows anglers exactly why it’s considered one of the most versatile trout and salmon destinations in the West. With 365 miles of broken shoreline, countless coves, and deep, nutrient-rich basins, Shasta has the room and the resources to grow fish fast.

Rainbow trout remain the mainstay for most anglers, and after several wet winters in a row, Shasta’s rainbows are thriving. Spring – March through May – is prime time when surface temps are cool, and big rainbows slide up to graze on young shad and insects pushed off the flooded banks. Longliners pulling Speedy Shiners, Cripplures or soft plastics can enjoy steady action.

As summer heat pushes the fish deeper, downriggers become mandatory. Target the 40- to 80-foot zone, depending on thermocline depth, especially in the Sacramento Arm and the main lake.

Kokanee have become an increasingly important part of Shasta’s identity. While not as famous as those at Whiskeytown or Stampede Reservoirs elsewhere in California, Shasta’s kokes regularly run 14 to 17 inches, with the occasional 18-plus-inch trophy in strong years. They favor the deeper, colder water in the McCloud Arm. The best bite typically hits in June and July. Small dodgers, pink or orangehoochiesandmicrospinners fished 60 to 120 feet down take limits when the schools stack tight.

Then there are the landlocked king salmon, which are Shasta’s sleeper species. Kings often run 2 to 5 pounds but occasionally push 8 to 10 in boom years. They hold deep, frequently 80 to 150 feet, and chase big meals. Think larger spoons, big- profile trolling rigs and anchovy- style bait imitations behind flashers. The best king action usually peaks from late May into August.

The beauty of Shasta is that you can target all three species in a single trip. It’s a massive, productive lake that rewards anglers willing to

adapt as the seasons shift. In big- water years like this one, Shasta becomes a fish factory – where trout, kokanee and salmon all have the potential to flourish and give anglers a season to remember.

LAKE ALMANOR

A high-country classic, Lake Almanor is a big, cold, food-rich reservoir set in the shadow of Mount Lassen, which is an active volcano. Completed in 1914 by the Great Western Power Company, Almanor sprawls across roughly 28,000 surface acres when full and boasts more than 50 miles of diverse shoreline.

Wide-open basins, submerged river channels, long flats and deep- water dropoffs combine to create one of the most productive trout and salmon environments in Northern California. In wet winters like 2025- 26, with cold water pouring in from the Feather River system, Almanor fires on all cylinders.

Rainbow trout and brown trout are the stars of the show. Almanor browns have a well-earned reputation for size – double-digit fish are caught every year – and 5- to 7-pounders are common when the feed is right.

Spring and fall are the peak windows. In March, April and early May, trout prowl the shallows chasing pond smelt and juvenile bass along the east shore and around Canyon Dam.

Slow-trolled minnow plugs, threaded nightcrawlers and classic spoons like the Speedy Shiner or Needlefish draw savage strikes. Fly anglers score with baitfish patterns on sinking lines when the wind lines push smelt up.

As summer settles in and water temperatures climb into the 60s, trout push deeper. Almanor’s famous “thermocline trench” – that 25- to 40-foot sweet spot – becomes the main highway.

Downrigging small spoons, soft plastics or flies behind dodgers keeps rods bending. Rainbows in the 2- to 5-pound class dominate the summer fishery, and they feed aggressively on the lake’s phenomenal aquatic insect life. Midges, hex mayflies and caddis hatches all influence fish location throughout the season.

Almanor also holds a modest but meaningful population of king salmon. These aren’t giants, but 2- to 4-pound kings show up regularly for anglers who fish deep, especially near the dam and in the Hamilton Branch area. They key on cold water and smelt schools, and they’ll hammer small spoons and small- profile trolling rigs, which run 40 to 80 feet down in early summer.

What makes Almanor special is its balance of trophy potential, steady action, spectacular scenery and year-round opportunity. It’s a big, beautiful lake that rewards anglers who pay attention to water

temperature, forage and seasonal movement. With all the cold water entering the system this year, Almanor is primed for one of its best trout and king salmon seasons in recent memory.

NEW MELONES RESERVOIR

This is one of the gems of the Mother Lode region. New Melones Reservoir has always been a solid multi-species fishery, but in the past few seasons it has stepped into the spotlight as one of the premier kokanee destinations in California.

Located in the Sierra foothills near Angels Camp, the lake sprawls across roughly 12,500 acres at full pool and reaches depths beyond 400 feet, making it one of the deepest and most stable coldwater reservoirs in the state.
Completed in 1979, the New Melones Dam created a massive, steep-sided lake that has proven to be a kokanee-producing machine, and after another wet winter, 2026 is shaping up to be another banner year.

Kokanee are the main draw, and for good reason. Last season, Melones consistently produced bright, thick- bodied 15- to 17-inch fish, with scattered reports of 18-inchers – the kind of size that puts it at the top of every serious kokanee angler’s list.

The combination of deep, cold water, stable nutrient levels and a thriving plankton base gives New Melones an edge that few California lakes can match. With rising water levels and long stretches of cool temperatures this year, survival rates should remain excellent, meaning schools will be big and aggressive when spring rolls around.

The kokanee season typically heats up in May and peaks from June through August. Early in the season, fish hold 20 to 40 feet down over deep water in the main body and up the river arms.

By midsummer, they drop to the 50- to 90-foot zone, forming tight schools that are easy to spot on sonar. Standard kokanee gear rules here: small dodgers in pink, orange or chartreuse, hoochies and micro squids, glow beads, and bright spinner rigs.

Scent is key, and trolling speeds in the 1.1- to 1.4-mile-per-hour range usually outproduce everything else.

Trout anglers shouldn’t overlook Melones either. While rainbows and browns aren’t the headline act these days, they’re still plentiful. Springtime sees rainbows working the surface and shoreline zones chasing shad and small minnows. A mix of spoons, trolling flies and bait rigs all produce, especially in the Angels Arm and along the face of the dam.

But make no mistake: New Melones will be a kokanee lake first and foremost in 2026. It’s the place where fleets gather, limits stack up fast and anglers leave talking about the kind of thick, hard-charging kokes that define great seasons. If you’re serious about kokanee, this is the lake you circle in red ink.

LAKE BERRYESSA

Lake Berryessa has always been one of California’s great multi-species reservoirs, but in wet years the lake takes a noticeable step forward.

Nestled in the foothills of Napa County and completed in 1958 with the construction of Monticello Dam, Berryessa stretches over 20,000 surface acres when full and holds more than 1.6 million acre-feet of water.

Long, deep and fed by multiple coldwater tributaries, it has the ingredients to support a diverse trout and salmon fishery that thrives when water levels run high and stable – just like we’ll see in 2026.

Rainbow trout anchor the action for most anglers, and Berryessa ’bows are known for being fast, clean and hard-charging fish. In spring, when surface temps linger in the low 50s, rainbows push shallow and feed heavily on pond smelt and young shad.

Trollers score with small spoons, minnow imitations and shad-pattern trolling flies run high in the water column from the dam to the Big Island area. Shoreline anglers can enjoy good success tossing Kastmasters, PowerBait and nightcrawlers around deeper points and coves as long as the water remains cool.

King salmon are Berryessa’s ace in the hole. The lake has long been one of California’s most consistent landlocked Chinook reservoirs, producing fat 2- to 5-pound kings with the occasional 7- or 8-pound standout in strong years.

Kings love depth and cold water, and they stack in the main lake basin, especially from the dam north toward the Big Island region. Downriggers are essential equipment. Target the 60- to 120-foot zone in summer with larger spoons, rotary bait rigs and natural-profile lures behind flashers. Kings here are predators; they want big meals.

Kokanee, once a quiet component of Berryessa’s fishery, have been gaining momentum once again. While they don’t rival the giants of New Melones or Whiskeytown these

days, Berryessa’s kokes are steady producers, typically running 12 to 16 inches, with a few bigger fish mixed in during strong cycles.

The kokanee hold deep – sometimes very deep – and experienced anglers know to watch the graph carefully. Small dodgers, pink or orange hoochies and tipped micro spinners fished 70 to 100 feet down take the majority of limits from June through August.

Lake Berryessa’s strength lies in its balance. It’s one of the few lakes in California where you can legitimately target rainbows, kings and kokanee in a single outing and come away with quality fish of each species. With the reservoir full and the water cold, 2026 should be a comeback year that reminds anglers why Berryessa has long been considered one of the Golden State’s most versatile salmonid fisheries.

Have a great fishing year in 2026! CS

Editor’s note: Cal Kellogg is a longtime Northern California outdoors writer. Subscribe to his YouTube channel Fish Hunt Shoot Productions at youtube.com/user/KelloggOutdoors.