Not the greatest outing, but that seems to be how my year is going. I've developed a love hate for Lake Sonoma. It has turned into my nemesis lake.

Started the trip on Sunday 8/30 about 6pm. Felt like about 75* out w/scattered clouds. Water temp averaged 75*. There was 3 of us fishing from 2 boats. We decide to start on the warm springs side and start with what I call the submerged island (perfect time to hit it, because there's usually skiers zig zaggin' all over it in the day time). Within the first 10 minutes first fish was landed.

Not long after that, the boat I was on got the second fish (not by me). I was starting to worry I might be the only one living with a skunk when I stuck this smallie....

None of us said a word, but we were all thinking it. We all got our first fish in decent time. This might be the beginning of a good trip......yeah right.

We spent the rest of the night throwin' everything. Nothing else happening so I had to pass out for a little while around 3am. Woke to the site of my boy holding up a fish around 5am (I guess). That got my attention, so I got up, and started throwin' again. This place doesn't have much (any) of a evening or morning bite. Nothing happening.

We tried main lake points, back creek arms, shelves, shallow, trees, rocks and every bait in the box. I kept seeing fish on the graph more offshore, (but I wasn't in control of the boat), so I started throwing a spinnerbait through the trees along the creek drop off and finally hook up with this 3lb little fattie.

same fish

Thank you! Thought we might have a pattern goin'.....yeah right. Spent the rest of the day throwin' everything at 'em all over again (leanin' heavy on the spinnerbait). Well two of us called it early (if you want to call 20+ hrs early) and left around 3pm with just 4 fish to the boat with about twice that many bites. The other boat stayed. He claims he had a 30-35 fish day. We ran into him and fished in the same vicinity off and on throughout the trip and everytime, never seen him hook up. We only saw him catch that 1 fish at the first spot. You make the call.

I don't think I'm going back there for awhile. I don't think it wants me back either.   

Nice report and pics, Never been there looks like the numbers are low but the size is good. Is there trout in that lake?

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There's some monster trout in there. Every now and then you'll hook one throwin' a crankbait.

I troll for the steelhead alot during the colder months. There are some big ones in there. As deep as compa said and even deeper too.  There are areas of the lake that are 200+ feet.

Sonoma is definitely a love/hate lake.  99% of the people I know hate it, and I love it. I'm not guru at Sonoma but I live right near it and have put my time in. I can at least pull a limit every trip. There are 30+ days, even 100+ days if you are in the right spot at the right time. Don't want to knock that guy who said he had 30+ but I've never managed that at Sonoma this time of year.

By the way... nice fish! White spinner is definitely a sonoma bait.

I meant a limit of bass just to clarify.  I dont limit with steelhead very often, almost never. Took alot of time on the water learning a great bit from my fishing buddy who had spent years on the water before I met him. But just about everytime we go out there we can at least pull a limit.