Lake surface elevation is dropping about four inches a day and is now at 649 feet. The surface temperature has cooled to 57 degrees. The water is mostly clear up in the river arms, main body and coves with mudlines showing near points when the wind blows. Bidwell Canyon launch is now closed until the lake comes up to 655 feet. The auxiliary ramp at the spillway is now the only launch ramp open. Four wheel drive vehicles are now required by State Parks officials for launching boats at the spillway.

All of the car-top boat access points are closed with the exception of Foreman Creek where the gate is still open to access the lake. Boaters are advised to call the lake's Visitor Center at (530) 538-2219, to check the daily status of the launch ramps prior to making a trip up to the lake.

Winter weather is in the forecast with heavy rain and a chance of showers through the week, with rain starting early Wednesday evening, becoming steady Thursday on into Friday morning, then cloudy with a chance of rain Saturday thru Monday. Daytime temps are forecast to be from 43 to 53 in the mornings with daytime highs 53 to 60. Winds will be Southeast and SW to 35 mph Thursday, then SE to 9 mph through the weekend.

The cold weather and cooler water temperatures haven't stopped the bass bite on the lake and fish are still being caught in decent numbers!

Brent Cline at Oroville Outdoors said the fishing is still decent with two anglers catching up to 30 bass a trip. Most anglers have switched back to finesse fishing for better results. Fishing in the shade lines along steep walls, or long points remains decent on jigs and tubes. Some anglers are finding success casting crank baits. Bass have been holding from about ten feet, down to 40 feet deep. Look for fish near any runoff streams flowing into the lake with 52 degree or warmer water.

Anglers are either drop-shotting small tubes, or casting wacky rigged Senko's, dart-head four-inch worms, or fishing 1/4 ounce finesse jigs and small paddle-tail swim-baits on light line to catch decent numbers of bass, 12 to 14 inches long, with a few 2 to 3- pound fish being caught. Natural colors and earth tone baits like bait fish, Prizm shad, watermelon, pumpkin, oxblood and brown are all working.

King salmon fishing has been slow for boaters trolling for salmon mostly because of lack of interest. The fish have been scattered all over the main body of the lake and boating anglers are few lately. A few Kings have been caught by bass anglers throwing plastic worms in ten feet of water, near the mouths of the forks of the Feather River. Boaters that are trying for salmon are trolling lures down from the 60 to 100 foot mark and deeper, over 120 to 150 foot depths to catch salmon or trout. Anglers are also casting and retrieving spoons along the shoreline.

Salmon may usually be caught while trolling over submerged islands or structure, in the river forks mouths, the slot and west of the green bridge, when fishing is good. The best tactic is to try and find bait schools then troll your gear just under the bait. Berkley Power minnows, Apex lures or Hoochies-tipped with a piece of anchovy, rigged behind a medium sized dodger, trolled at 30 to 70 feet, at 1.9 to 2.2 mph has been working for both salmon and trout.