New Melones is one of our favorite Bay area lakes as it is loaded with trout, kokanee, bass and catfish. We stay at the Worldmark resort and love the community. The fishing is off the hook and usually we will troll rapalas and other lures up the Stanislaus River enjoying the gorgeous landscape. We will also fish the dam area which is loaded with Kokanee (land locked salmon). The bass are mostly spotted bass, usually around 1-3lbs, but some larger fish are there! Trout are usually rainbow trout, average size about 1-2 lbs. Brown trout are here, but tougher to catch. This is a lake we frequent at least 3-4 times a year and is highly recommended.
Located in Calaveras County in Angels Camp (home of the Celebrated Jumping Frog Jubilee), New Melones Lake was formed with the completion of a 625-foot high dam in 1979. New Melones surpassed in size the Old Melones reservoir that had been formed in 1926. By 1982, the lake was filled and on its way to becoming the wonderful recreational spot that it is today.
Fishing is wonderful year-round at New Melones Lake. From Thanksgiving to February, when the trout are gorging themselves on shad in the coves and creek channels, anglers catch stringers of beautiful two to seven pound rainbow and brown trout right from shore. On warm summer nights, boaters can limit out using minnows or night crawlers with submersible lights that attract baitfish, which in turn attract the big trout. It's very pleasant to spend the night (the lake is open to boaters all night long) bobbing under the stars, the lake water all around you shimmering from your light and the flash of minnows
. The lake is home to largemouth, a few smallmouth, spotted and redeye bass. Spring through fall, bass action is hot. In fact, bass fishing tournaments have embraced the lake in recent years, including it in their itineraries and holding Tournaments of Champions there. Summer and fall bring catfish in the three to thirty pound range, some even larger. Perch and crappie can be caught both in the summer using jigs and minnows in the coves and creek channels, as well as in the winter, fishing deep at night using minnows with submersible lights. Kokanee (small, feisty relatives of salmon, and regarded by some as the best tasting of any freshwater fish) were introduced into the lake in spring of 1997, and are thriving far beyond anyone's expectations. Kokanee action is great in the spring and summer, with limits of two- pounders being common. Members of the Project Kokanee and Kokanee Power say Melones is one of their favorite kokanee lakes.
Wildlife abounds at New Melones. Osprey hawks nest in the tall trees near the lake, and bald eagles are common in the late winter and spring. Egrets and herons can be spotted on the shore and soaring in the blue skies. Black tail deer, fox, and raccoons are a common sight in the evenings as they come down to the shore to quench their thirst and feed. Berry bushes at the water’s edge provide a home for teal and mallard ducks, Canadian geese, cormorants, and coots. Turtles can be spotted sunning themselves on logs at the water’s edge, only to slip into the water with a soft splash as one nears. With luck, a shy river otter or two may be spotted frolicking in the sun. The majority of the lake is bordered by land managed by the Bureau of Reclamation, and is open to hunting, season permitting.
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