Trout: We will have two weeks of back-to-back trout stocking beginning on March 3rd. Access to whisker bay will be restricted on stock days to allow the trout time to disperse throughout the lake. Boat Dock Cove is still a good location for trout in the early morning and evening. Mini Jigs and power bait are still proving to be the ideal choice of bait. The trout have primarily preferred chartreuse and rainbow colors when using powerbait. The trout will remain near the buoy line and whisker bay area for the first several days after a fresh plant. After the trout have had time to disperse throughout the lake, the trout cove area will be a promising location for catching trout. In the early morning hours, you are likely to find trout in the shallow waters of the south shoreline and Boat Dock Cove. Mini Jigs, mouse tails and power bait have been the most successful choice of bait for anglers since opening day. A two-pound test set up with a 12” to 18” leader is recommended. The Trout catching limit is 5! "No Catch & Release of Trout." Please make sure you are familiar with the current freshwater fishing regulations prior to fishing here at Dixon Lake as we do strictly enforce these regulations.

Catfish: We officially have a new lake record for catfish! Cameron Gruwell caught a 30.4 pound catfish on January 31st using mackerel on the south shoreline. Mr. Gruwell released the cat back into the lake after the weight was certified by park staff. The Catfish bite has picked back up due to the recent trout stocks. Although we have concluded stocking catfish for the year, catfish are present year round in Dixon Lake. The catfish are very active in the early morning as well as the afternoon hours before closing. Piers 3 and 4 have been producing good results. Night crawlers soaked with garlic oil have been the preferred bait of catfish recently. Considering that catfish are primarily bottom feeders, setting up your rig with a weight that allows your bait to sink near the bottom will generally render good results. Catfish prefer bait with the strongest scent. Cut up mackerel, chicken liver and shrimp are typically the preferred bait of cat fisherman. Catfish have a limit of 5 at this time.

Bass: At this time the Bass are active in search of food and are biting on drop shot and smaller swim baits. With the trout stock here it is a good time to practice different fishing techniques. Drop shot rigs set up with either Roboworms or Senkos are still proving to be a good method. The bass will be more active in shallow waters as we continue to see cooler weather. The aquatic weeds are still present and will slowly disperse as the water temperature continues to drop. Largemouth bass can typically be found in shallow water and are likely to be found swimming under something that provides shade such as vegetation or a pier. In water bodies that contain aquatic vegetation, you may find it advantageous to use slightly heavier line. Boat dock cove is still a promising location for bass. Just a reminder, bass must be at least 12 inches to keep with a limit of 2 at this time.

Bluegill: The bluegill bite is fairly slow during this time of year. Meal worms and red worms are still the best choice of bait for the time being. Using cut up night crawlers for bait is also a good method. The bite will gradually slow down as the aquatic vegetation in the water dies down. The piers and shorelines are still promising locations for catching bluegill. Bluegill are limited to 25 of any size at this time.