Collins Lake Monday 3/4... Never been before.

Well, Lake Sonoma still needs to clear up before I will go back to fish for trout with fins, so I figured I would give Collins a shot with a buddy.  I've never been there before, but I figure the fish should be from the surface down to maybe 20ft.  I have read that the east side of the dam is good.  Any other advice from someone who has fished there would be great!  Any company is more than welcome of course. 

I camp there every year for 15 yrs and my favorite areas are

The big rock pile due east of the Marina about 3/4s of the way across marked with bouys for Spots,LMB

The rocky area in the noth east corner just befor the lake narrows down toward the inlet for smallies some good trout in there also.

For trout I like trolling around the powerlines and there is a big flat shallow bay on the east side just before the bouys in the early am and late pm you can just sit in that bay and the trout will chase up the baitfish a lot of times you can sight cast to schools cruising the surface can be pretty exciting if you hit it right and they seem to be a nicer grade maybe holdovers than I catch down by the dam

My Bro in law gets some really nice fish along the rocky bank just below Marysville Road Bridge he bait fishes.

Lots of Crawdads in the lake and in many of the fish's bellies.

Thanks for the info as always Mike.  Sonoma soon... very soon.

i was headed there as well monday if i am not working.. i troll rapalas in front of beach towards the dam then head east along dam  there are some floating docks there and it seemed every turn through there i was hit or hooked up 

I hold a 70 man tourney there every year and am 1 of 3 guys who fish with fins. Mickfish hooked you up with some solid advice... but also, check out Elmer's Cover! I like to be in the water predawn. It's a deep cove and well covered from the sun even after dawn. Try using Tiger/Rainbow print CastMasters, spinners, and any other jig you mite feel like tossin'. Also do a little research on the campground and find the "Lakeview" area. Fin the entire length from west to east and continue to the dam. Trolling a ball of powerbait/live minnow behind a 6' leader. lol ... Sounds a lil cheezy but my uncles been catching em like this for years! The last of which was a 9lber at last years tourney! anyway.. hope this helps direct you.

FISH ON!!!

Sounds like fun! 

Okay, so based on everything I have heard, here is my gameplan... feel free to grade it.  Launch, and since I will already be near the area, troll down near the dam and across to the east side.  Circle back (result dependent) and head north past the beach and campgrounds to elmers cove... from there move up the narrows past the buoy line and go as far as the lake depth allows, perhaps as far as the marysville rd. bridge at the north end of the lake.  If none of that works, I will try the big bay in the north east corner.  I will primarily troll, but will bring along trout crack and another secret weapon.  I figure when trolling I will put out one topline, and another OTW at 20ft, and adjust depending on what the FF is showing me.  Jason and Steph... like I said, company welcome.  We can spread out and find em that way.  Do you guys have radios? 

Nope no radio here. What time are you guys launching?  If you launch at the beach is right there may as well make a pass through. Or launch by dam. Nice there too. Supposed to rain but if I don't work I am still going

Nope no radio here. What time are you guys launching?  If you launch at the beach is right there may as well make a pass through. Or launch by dam. Nice there too. Supposed to rain but if I don't work I am still going

according to NOAA it should be good during the day with a chance of showers at night... I will keep an eye on that.  Probably go rain or shine.  Not sure or the time... it is a three hour drive for me.  Probably aim to be on the water by 8ish at the latest.   With my current plan I will probably launch by the dam.  That way I can hit that area and then fish the entire west side without backtracking.  What do you think?

A little info in case you  might want to  save a little paddling,there is a ramp at the dam that you can back a pickup  down  to the water  if you like.

A little info in case you  might want to  save a little paddling,there is a ramp at the dam that you can back a pickup  down  to the water  if you like.

Thanks for the heads up... I saw it on google earth and figured I would start there.

   Yep i had the same plan .. easier to get ready there by the dam and can back up to water and just park there if you want

Any idea what the water level is like? 

Any idea what the water level is like? 

Full. To the brim. Actually 1 foot from full. You won't be able to get the ramp at the dam if indeed it is full. You can still launch near the dam though. By the spillway is very shallow with the lake full. You need to paddle out at least 100' before it drops off. Plenty of area to launch there e pen if full. Good luck. I never fish he narrows for trout. I always slay the in front of the dam and on the east side of the dam in the corner. With e lake full you won't see on the east side of the dam almost all the way across there is a peninsula the juts out from the dam. Watch out for snagging the bottom there. You'll see it on the graph, but it comes up fast. It's 2-300 feet from the end of the dam. Hang a right in that area and continue to troll along the east side till you have to turn left again. That is where I turn around no repeat back across the dam.

My best trolling rig is Seps micro flashers, willow leaf, and a threaded night crawler 18" back. Next best is a CD7 rainbow Rapala. Troll about 1-1.5 mph.