Photo by Chris Shaffer.

March can be deceptive. Following days of sweltering heat, winter storms can push through the state and drop several feet of snow, blocking passage to mountain lakes and reservoirs.

Fortunately, there are viable alternatives in the foothills and the Lower San Joaquin Valley.

Central California isn’t overwhelmed with extensive trout fisheries as Northern California is. Nor are its reservoirs stocked as frequently as Southern California’s. But between The Grapevine and Stockton, a handful of trout fisheries flourish in early spring. Fish them in March and April, but flee in May -- by late spring, the trout will succumb to extreme heat.

Here are our top five best trout fisheries for bank-anglers, trollers and float-tubers in the Golden State.

THE LOWER KERN RIVER
In the Kern River drainage, the Upper Kern River receives all the attention, more plants of fish and greater pressure than its smaller neighbor, the Lower Kern River, which flows from Lake Isabella through the Lower Kern River Canyon. But in March, the Lower Kern often out-fishes the upper section.

The Lower Kern benefits from controlled flows. In late winter and early spring, the faucet is turned off, and flows are at a minimum. Actually, this is a plus. As May, June and July arrive to melt snow in the Kern River drainage, the upper section runs out of control. As it fills up Lake Isabella, flows are increased on the lower river to meet agricultural needs downriver.

During this period, flows on the lower river can be treacherous, and trout fishing is all but impossible. It’s common to see full trees floating downriver and hear massive boulders crashing against each other.

Fortunately, that isn’t the case in March and April.

“It just depends on our winter,” said Ken Walton of Bob’s Bait Bucket in Bakersfield, “but in March, April and May, fishing can be great.”

Walton said that runoff probably won’t occur until May and June, “but during February and March, the lower river is always good.”

The Lower Kern benefits from extensive planting. There’s no shortage of trout available in early spring, following weekly plants from the state Department of Fish and Game. Most of those don’t pass a pound and a half, but limits of half-pound and pound-size rainbows are common.

“They do a lot of planting at that time of year,” said Walton. “Plus the flow is low enough that fishing is still excellent. There are a lot of holes in that area, and it’s not that far to get to. You can get to a good spot in 25 minutes from Bakersfield.”

The short drive saves money, time and gas. And the mouth of the Upper Kern is 45 minutes past the better fishing spots on the Lower Kern.