I made a run up to Baum Lake this afternoon to get in one more fishing outing before the end of the year and found a beautiful lake on a cool crisp day.  What I did not find were any cooperating trout, not for myself or most anyone else I spoke with.  Fly anglers were finding no luck, as were the few like myself tossing spoons and spinners.  I did hear of some small fish being caught near the outlet pipes adjacent to the hatchery but nothing else.

Baum is usually an outstanding winter fishery so I will be back after the new year with my new 2020 license in tow and yes, the cost does go up a bit for the coming year.  The hatchery normally does a bonus stocking sometime around the new year so I expect to have good results in the near future.  
I was surprised to see that there was still quite a bit of weed growth on the water.  Most of weeds appeared dead but there were still large mats near some of the more popular shore areas near the ramp and fishing access pier that would impede casting and retrieving lures.  But as winter progresses these weeds should continue to dissipate.

I would also like to make a friendly reminder for anglers to dispose of loose fishing line properly.  I was able to free a struggling bird today that had become entangled in a carelessly discarded mass of line that was snagged on a low plant.  Luckily the bird was able to fly away after being cut free.

Gary Heffley has been a valued contributor to MyOutdoorBuddy for over 10 years serving as manager, sales representative and reporter for much of Northern California. He is an avid outdoorsman and loves to fish and write about his adventures. He has a long history in the Sporting Goods field and uses that extensive experience to impart his wisdom in his writing.