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This is a multi-day report. Stayed at Colonial Creek Campground on Diablo Lake. I took the kayak and would get up early.

First day was 8/20. Gorgeous morning and glad I had a sonar....found the fish stacked up north of the hwy 20 bridge in a deep pocket there. Tried multiple offerings before finally getting a hit on a black/metalic red Wooley Bugger on sinking tip fly line. Thought it was a Kokanee at first due to how bright white it looked...but saw the spots along the back faintly, so it was indeed an RBT. After that the hits were consistent when I'd make certain passes. I think the fish were waiting in the pocket below the bridge where the current would bring food to them, so when I passed through in a certain direction I'd get hits. Ended up with four caught and a few missed hits. Smallest was about 10" and largest was 16".

Wednesday morning was a little slower, but managed a 12" and a 15" and had a violent strike that I felt the head shake and quickly snapped my fly off....must have been a sizable fish.

Didn't fish Thursday AM, but did fish for a short while in the evening around 6p and caught a 12" fish. Only had the one hit.

Friday AM things changed....The lake had been slowly dropping through the week, but on Friday it had come back up. I started out right away getting hits, but the fish were not really aggressive. After bout 20 minutes and 5 missed hits the current under the bridge stopped and debris started to flow back towards the bridge....the bite just turned off. Tried for an additional hour and half without another hit. Thinking they closed the dam floodgates causing the current shift. Definitely killed what bite was there and made dragging a fly difficult due to the amount of debris backing up.

Two things to note: So happy to have taken my sonar as the lake is deceptive to perceived depth due to the cloudy (but beautiful) water. Most of the arm out from the campground is very shallow (4'-8'). The area immediately around the bridge drops to a 22' hole and shallows again on the north side. When paddling north the lake eventually gets deeper, but have to travel a good distance to get to deeper water.
Also, fishing seems to be better when the water is not rising!

This was my first trip to Diablo and from everyone I talked to I was fortunate to have found as many fish as I did. Look forward to going back!

MotoBoat

8/25/2019 4:18:58 PM

This is a dream lake for me to visit and on my bucket list. How many different areas are there for camping? Are there several launch sites for a 17ft boat?

BentRod

8/25/2019 5:35:20 PM

Sent you a PM

hewesfisher

8/26/2019 6:16:27 AM

Beautiful pics. :-)

cwbraue

8/29/2019 6:56:29 AM

Beautiful fish. I used to fish up there every year but it's hit or miss.

Kisutch

8/29/2019 7:09:31 AM

We camped up there a couple weekends ago (fished on the 17th). We found consistent fishing in the slot canyon near the Ross Lake Dam. I was disappointed in the fish, they seemed to hit and then just play dead as we drug them in, even on Rapalas with no flasher, guessing the cold water had them lethargic. It is a beautiful place and we were happy to have enough trout to go on our campfire for dinner.

BentRod

8/29/2019 2:32:12 PM

That's great that you found consistent fishing. I only fished around Colonial Creek due to the kayak/time limitation. Although a couple of the fish came in easy, I'd say most fought quite well and the 15" and 16" fish both put up great fights and didn't want to go into the net.
How did the ones you eat taste? I c&r'd all the fish I caught, but wondered with the cold water if they cooked up better than our warmer water "Seattle" hatchery trout.

Kisutch

8/29/2019 4:35:28 PM

They tasted great, but everything taste's good when you are sleeping in a tent, haha.

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