How Do You Fish Soft Plastics at New Melones by Season?

About New Melones

New Melones Reservoir sits on the Stanislaus River in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties. It's about 12,500 surface acres with 100 miles of shoreline, and it's open to fishing year-round.

It holds all three black bass: spotted bass, which dominate most catches, largemouth and smallmouth. The structure is classic foothill reservoir: rocky points, boulder ledges, standing timber and stumps, and submerged islands.

It also grows big largemouth. In January 2026, a 10.47 lb largemouth came out on a 9" swimbait, and a local guide's clients had landed several 8–10 lb fish since November 2025.

Winter (December–February)

Where: main-lake rocky points and their shoulders, boulder ledges, submerged islands, and timber near deep water. Winter largemouth hold on flooded brush in 10–20 feet.

Depth: usually 12–25 feet, but our February 2026 report had fish anywhere from 5 to 50 feet on wind-blown points, up-river and on submerged islands.

What to throw:

• Neko dragged slow. A Purple Haze Neko as a trailer on a finesse jig was the go-to in February.
• Drop shot with a Finesse Worm on 1/4 oz for deep fish you see on the graph.
• Shaky head on rock.

Spring (March–April)

Where: staging fish on points next to spawning flats, then beds lake-wide.

Depth: 5–30 feet. By mid-March 2026, early bed fish were showing up.

What to throw:

• Neko in Morning Dawn and Ringo's Gift, the standouts in our March 16, 2026 report.
• Finesse Worm on a shaky head or drop shot for staging fish.
• Wacky Stick Bait around beds and shallow cover.

Summer (June–September)

Where: a short topwater window at first light, then fish move to boulders and rocky points.

Depth: spotted bass suspend at 15–25 feet over boulders and rock points when the water's in the 80s.

What to throw:

• Drop shot with subtle shaking. The 2018 B.A.S.S. Nation event here was won with 35.79 lb of largemouth on a 6" drop-shot worm, on 6 lb line, at 18–20 feet in brush on the south end.
• Neko on points.
• Terp Minnow when spots chase shad.

Fall (October–November)

Where: two groups. Bait chasers follow shad into the backs of coves ("shad move to the backs of the coves in fall, and the fish follow"). Structure fish stay on ledges, stumps and points at 15–25 feet.

What to throw:

• Neko and shaky head dragged slow on points.
• Drop-shot Finesse Worm with minimal shaking.
• Paddle Tail under the shad schools in the coves.

Colors at New Melones

The water is clear in much of the lake, stained after rain. Go natural most of the time: Green Pumpkin, Light Green Pumpkin - Black Flake, and watermelon tones. Purple Haze and Morning Dawn have both been standouts for us on the Neko and Finesse Worm.

2026 launch rules

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation requires every boat launching at New Melones to take part in its seal program. The program is there to stop the spread of the golden mussel, a new invasive mussel found in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Boats need either a 30-day quarantine seal or a paid decontamination wash through the marina. Hand-launched kayaks with electric motors are exempt.

Pass sales: the office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except federal holidays. If you plan to launch on a weekend, get your pass sorted during the week.

Glory Hole Point is the main ramp; Tuttletown has had limited days. Check current ramp status with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation before you go.