Corona Lake's trout action still good in off-color water

Rains left Corona Lake like chocolate milk early this week, and the lake level had jumped by nearly five feet. Since Corona's water generally clears fairly quickly, the weekend bite was expected to be as good as it had been prior to the rains.

Over the past week, limits of rainbow trout average 2 1/2 pounds or better had been common for anglers fishing small trout jigs, nightcrawlers doused with scent, and rainbow, chartreuse, or white floating baits.

Top trout were a pair of nine-pound rainbows. Mike Avila, Ontario, topped off his four-fish, 20 1/2-pound catch with one of the nine-pounders fishing jigs from a float tube. David and Sac St. Germain, both Garden Grove, had eight rainbows that weighed 35 pounds, including the other nine-pounder. Joe, T.J., and Ted Rodriguez, Ontario, landed four trout that weighed 16 1/2 pounds, and their big fish was an 8 1/2-pound trout. Chris Oliver, Corona, also had an 8 1/2-pound rainbow, topping off a six-fish, 23-pound catch.

Corona Lake is planted with trout every Wednesday, and there will be two events to note this week. First, Corona Lake will be stocked with the largest Nebraska Tailwalkers the Chaulk Mound Trout Farm has to offer on Wednesday with fish to 10 pounds and more planted. This will be followed with a special $20 buy-in trout derby on Sunday. The entry fee is in addition to the usual lake entrance, but all derby entry money will be awarded to the anglers catching the five biggest trout caught that day. The biggest fish will win half the derby money, the second biggest will get 20 percent, the third biggest 15 percent, the fourth biggest will win 10 percent, and the fifth largest trout will get five percent.

Corona Lake is open seven days a week with fishing allowed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on day passes or from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on an evening pass. Each of these passes is $22. Seniors only pay $20, with a special $17 pass sold on Wednesdays. All of these passes have a five-fish limit. For kids 4 to 13, a three-fish pass is just $9. The once-monthly 24-hour passes remain just $60 with the next 24-hour fishing set for mid-January. These passes have a 15-fish limit. For more Corona Lake fishing information, call 951-277-4489 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com