Lake Berryessa Fly Fishing Report

Johnny Feaster reports on February 13th, 2026

Lake Berryessa Fishing Report - February 2026

By Local Guide Johnny Feaster

Water Temps: 54–58°F (surface)

Depth: fish holding around 30 feet

Leader Length: 9–11 ft leaders have been most effective

Primary Method: Float N Fly

Lake Berryessa is starting to show some solid consistency. We’re finding good numbers of fish, with most of them staging around points in about 30 feet of water.
The Float N Fly technique has been the go-to method — suspending flies under an indicator with 9–11 foot leaders has kept us right in the zone.

What’s Working

● Black leech patterns have been the top producer under the float.
● Stripping Wooly Buggers has also turned up some quality trout when covering water.
● Focus efforts around bait concentrations — find the bait, and you’ll find the fish.

Strategy

If the action slows down, don’t dwell too long on a bank. The fish are still roaming and haven’t fully settled into one pattern. Stay mobile, move point to point, and keep searching for active bait pods. 

Conservation Issues
Golden Mussel Awareness Continues! Golden Mussels have started showing up in California's reservoirs, and local water agencies are taking action. A quarantine has been put in place to try and slow their spread, with decontamination stations set up at Steel Park and Markley Cove. Please remember to clean your boat thoroughly, especially if you're moving between different bodies of water, like from the Delta to any freshwater
lake. It’s crucial to help prevent the spread of these invasive species.

What’s Coming?

● Putah Creek voluntary closure ends March 1st!