A 7-pound Alpers Rainbow from Bishop Creek, Calif.

By Don Quilici

• BIG SPRINGS RESERVOIR, NEV: Fishing is poor due to low water. Will close on Feb. 28.

• BISHOP CREEK AREA, CALIF:

Gary Olson of the Bishop Creek Resorts (760-873-4484): The colors are spectacular, right now.

Intake No. 2: Under the control of contractors, so no fishing.

North Lake: Good with Power Bait or Salmon eggs.

The lake is beautiful right now.

Sabrina Lake: A 6-pound, 14-ounce rainbow in the creek by Sabrina with a white Trout Trap and a worm.

South Lake: We received a load of Alpers Rainbows this week with the fish in the 6-8 pound range.

Trolling has been productive with lead cord line down about 6-7 colors, from about 75 yards in front of the Rockslide, all the way to the dam.

Behind the island with Power Bait or Salmon eggs is good with several brookies showing up.

Bishop Creek: Carol Ryan of Apple Valley caught a 7-pound Alpers Trophy Rainbow Trout using Power Bait.

The creek is producing lots of limits.

Most anglers report good fishing with nightcrawlers or Trout Traps with a small chunk of worm on the hook.

Quite a few Alpers Rainbows came out this week with Power Bait being the bait of choice.

The colors along the creek are awesome so bring a camera.

Weir Pond: A 5-pound, 4-ounce and a 5-pound, 2-ounce rainbow on nightcrawlers.

• BLUE LAKES, CALIF. AREA:

Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930) said: "Reports of limits from Lower Blue Lake with inflated worms or Power Bait. There was a couple of fishermen from Carson City who said that they each caught 4 fish on Saturday and that they got rained on.

• Tamarack Lake: Is now down to just two large bodies of water but they are both fishable for brook trout.

• BLUE LAKES, NEV: No report. Will close on Nov. 15.

• BOULDER RESERVOIR IN NORTHERN WASHOE COUNTY: Water levels dropping but fishing remains fair to good. Weed growth make shore fishing difficult. Use a float tube or small boat to get out to open water.

• WEST CARSON RIVER, CALIF: Dave Kirby said that the water is low and clear which makes fishing challenging. A few fish were caught.

• CATNIP RESERVOIR IN NORTHERN WASHOE COUNTY: No report. Best fishing is found near the dam. Cutthroat trout in the 14-16 inch range are common. Will close on Nov. 15.

• CONVICT LAKE, CALIF: David DeSurra of the Convict Lake Resort (800) 992-2260 reported the annual Convict Lake Fall Derby began on Oct. 1 and runs through Nov. 15 with over $5,000 in prizes.

• HEENAN LAKE, CALIF: Will close on Oct. 31.

Dave Kirby reported that it slowly continues to get better.

It is slow for shore fishermen and better for the float tubers who are fishing the deeper waters.

• INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR. CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that there is not much change. The shore fishing is slow. The fishing is better for those fishermen in float tubes in deep water.

• KNOTT CREEK RESERVOIR, NEV: No report. Will close on Nov. 15.

• LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Missy Swain at Burke's Market at Silver Springs (775-577-2750): Today (Tuesday), I've been busy putting up Halloween decorations.

The fishing is great, especially on the weekends, and we have been selling a lot of bait.

It should be excellent from now until the end of November.

The lake is about 90,000 acre feet and still dropping.

There was a 6.5 pound Walleye caught last week, by the dam.

• PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Opened to Lahontan cutthroat trout fishing on Oct. 1.

Carla Molino of the Pyramid Lake Store said that some boaters reported catching and releasing up to 60 trout, while jigging, on the opening day.

The largest Cutthroat checked in was a 8.5 pounder (28 inches) caught on Oct. 3 from a boat.

Don and Elaine Quilici of Carson City fished on Monday in their chest waders. They reported lots of grass in the water in the Warrior Point area. They moved to Spider Point and caught and released 11 Cutts, up to 19 inches. They were spincasting with Chartreuse/black dot No. 2 TOR-P-DO lures.

• RED LAKE CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that the fishermen are catching lots of brookies, right now.

• SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero of Outdoor Adventures Sport Fishing, Redding, Calif. (800-670-4448) sent in this report:

Redding to Anderson: Water flow is 7,000 CFS.

Fly fishing for rainbow trout is fair to good. Catching and releasing. Using Micro Mayfly. Fox's Pupahs, Caddis and egg patterns.

Red Bluff: Catching nice bright Kings, 10-25 pounds. Some Salmon over 30 pounds, seeing limits.

Using Flatfish (T-50's), and bouncing roe are best bet, both producing great Kings.

Water level great, clear and mild weather.

King salmon season will remain open until January 14, 2005.

• SQUAW CREEK RESERVOIR (north of Gerlach in Washoe County): Continues to be a hot spot. The best fishing has been in the mornings or evenings.

• LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:

Mickey Daniels of Mickey's Big Mack Charters (800-877-1462) said: "We've been catching our Mackinaw trout early in the morning and I've been tagging and releasing the smaller ones.

The fishing has been very consistent, but nothing super big.

I troll 250-550 feet deep in the deep-water area in front of Carnelian Bay and King's Beach.

We are using silver, Herring Dodger flasher blades with live minnows or large Apex lures."

Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters and Tahoe Trophy Trout at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552) said he has been trolling at Cal Neva Point, Agate Bay and Dollar Point.

He is trolling 160-280 feet deep with a short leader, Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows.

• LAKE TAHOE - South Shore:

Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters and Tahoe Trophy Trout at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552) said the fishing has been on the slow side.

Catching small Macks (2-3 pounds) and small Kokanee Salmon (5-10 inches).

The Kokanee fishing is sporadic, with an 11-inch fish being bragging size.

• LAKE TAHOE - East Shore:

Gene St. Denis said that Cave Rock Shelf has been a little slow but they are getting fish.

Nothing big with an average size of about 2-4 pounds for the Macks.

Jiggers are doing the best.

• TWIN LAKES, CALIF. AREA:

Upper Twin: Mono Village (760-932-7071): Richard Beer of Carson City caught a 7-pound, 4-ounce rainbow on a fly.

Harold McMahon of Azusa, Calif. caught a 5-pound, 8-ounce, a 5-pound, 4-ounce and a 4-pound, 2-ounce rainbow on yellow Power Bait.

Lake level is slowly coming up and the water is cooling down.

• VIRGINIA LAKES, CALIF. AREA: Carolyn Webb of the Virginia Lake Resort reported: As Fall drapes it's lovely blanket of color, Mother Nature creeps in and slaps a cover of snow atop of everything to scare even the bravest of souls off the water.

Fishing has been good to fair most of the week, and slow, partly due to the full moon at our 9770' elevation.

Eric Jans of Corona, Calif. caught 4 beauties a 5.5, 5.7, and two 4-pound, 7-ounce Alpers rainbows on nightcrawlers.

Tom Aita of Alhambra, Calif. got a 4.15 out of Little Virginia on Power Bait.

Spinners have done well from Blue Lake to Cooney Lake, with the cloud cover that we've had for the past 3 days, and it has kept the night temperatures well above freezing.

• WALKER LAKE, NEV: Norm Budden reported that spincasting in chest waders on Monday was only fair until about 10 a.m., when the fishing action totally stopped.

• WILDHORSE RESERVOIR NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472 said, "The weather is beautiful and the fishing is red hot.

The deer hunters are getting their bucks and then going fishing.

They are catching limits of rainbows, up to 4 pounds.

The shore fishermen are using worms with scented marshmallows (cheese or shrimp).

The boaters are trolling with flashers and worms.

The road construction looks like it should be done sometime this week."