Lakes in San Diego County
San Diego's lakes are not always full of water, but always rich in history. Historically known for the world's largest largemouth bass, and world class size blue catfish, our lakes are known around the world.
Lake Cuyamaca, nestled up in the local mountains is home to the second oldest dam in California, completed way back in 1888. Every lake has a storied history, and have created fond fishing memories for generations of local anglers.
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Barrett is a special fishery, a favorite among a loyal following of Barrett regulars that stretches anglers of all backgrounds and skill levels. Barrett is dominated by the aggressive Northern Strain Largemouth Bass, unlike the other lakes in the county which are dominated by the larger but less aggressive Florida-Strain....
Diamond Valley is Southern California's newest, and largest reservoir. Diamond Valley is arguably the premier fishery in all of Southern California for many species of fish including largemouth bass, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, and striped bass. The bass fishing is normally very good, especially for largemouth bass and rainbow trout.
Previous to the turn of the century the lake was known primarily for its rainbow trout and catfish. That all changed in 2001, when Mike Long caught a 20 lb 12 oz bass out of Dixon that transcended the lake from a quiet trout destination to the forefront of the...
El Capitan is a premier bass and crappie fishery headlining the fish counts regularly. The words "North End" become very cliche when it comes to this lake as the majority of fish, whether it be bass, crappie, or catfish are reportedly caught at the North End of the lake. Bass...
Guajome is a lesser known and very small lake (approx. 4 surface acres) located forty miles north of San Diego in Oceanside. The lake is almost completely encircled with reeds, and offers minimal fishing areas. Better known as a recreational park for camping, hiking and picnicking, the lake is more...
Cuyamaca is perhaps the most beautiful lake in San Diego County, set in the high elevations of the Cuyamaca Mountains. Due to the colder climate of Cuyamaca, the lake is ideal for year-around trout fishing with over 45,000 lbs. of trout stocked annually. On the average, trout tend to be...
Lake Henshaw is known for its large and abundant crappie. The lake may be one of the most under-rated and under-utilized fisheries in the County of San Diego. At times the bass fishing, especially during the Spring, can be as good as it gets. Almost every year there is a...
Hodges is known nationally for it's largemouth bass population. This lake is one of the few ever to produce a 20 lb class largemouth without a trout stock at the lake. The lake record is 20 lbs 4 ozs. Popular lures for bass here include plastic worms (6-12 inches), pig-n-jigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits...
Jennings holds a reputation for being a BIG catfish producer, and is one of a minority of San Diego County lakes that contains the larger Blue Catfish. Every year several cats over 15 lbs. are reported, especially during the summer night fishing season. Mackerel and chicken-livers are not-surprisingly the top...
Lake Morena sits at an elevation above 3000 ft. in the foothills of the Laguna Mountains. During the winter, trout are full of energy and feel at home in this chilly water, and feeding frenzies run amok here. Bass fishing at Morena is not to be overlooked, and can actually...
Murray has a reputation for producing very large big largemouth bass, while the record is "only" 18.55 pounds, many teen-size bass are caught at Murray each year. That lake record is also among the most recent, occurring in December of 2000. There have been rumors of 20 pound fish being...
Lake Ramona is somewhat difficult to reach therefore receives little pressure. The water is clear so light line is a must. Bass fishing is the most promising here although some have reported good numbers of catfish. Focus on the spring and summer months for excellent fishing, but bring lots of...
Lake Skinner is located in Winchester, near San Diego's northern neighbor; Temecula. Skinner is known best for its Striped Bass fishing, consistently producing fish in the 20 pound class throughout the year. In addition to the stripers, Skinner is home to largemouth bass, rainbow trout, catfish, crappie and bluegill.
Spotty trout fishing in the winter. Lots of submerged rock piles along the shoreline provide good cover for bass. Plenty of shoreline to fish for any species. Crappie and catfish are all over the lake for added fun. With heavy trout stocking and little talked about bass fishing, this lake...
Presently, only a five mile stretch of the east shore line is open for fishing. It is recommended that you pack lightly. You will need to hike a little ways from the parking lot through rocks and brush. And the shore line is less than even, so expect a bit...
When pro's and fishing articles mention bass fishing on the west coast, Lower Otay is likely to come up. It is one of the long standing premiere bass fisheries on the west coast that has made a name for itself through it's long history. The lake is equally matched with...
Miramar is a small, even by San Diego standards, reservoir located in Scripps Ranch. The reservoir is known for big bass, although not many of those have shown up in the fish reports over the last 10 years or so. Currently the lake is mostly known for its trout fishing,...
This small lake produces big fish in big numbers. Bass over 15 lbs. are very common, almost caught weekly at times. The lake has received more pressure in recent years as word of the bass fishing has gotten out. Due to heavy stocking of rainbow trout in the winter, which...
San Vicente is one of the larger lakes in the county providing lots of shoreline and deep water access. The lake responsible for producing the last two California State Record Blue Catfish, first a 101 lb Blue caught in 2001, and in 2008 a 113 pound giant Blue Catfish. There...
While not necessarily regarded as a top fishing destination, the Santee lakes do produce their share of the larger fish.·The lake record channel catfish weighed in at 39 lbs 4 ozs and was caught in Lake 2.·Bass over 10 lbs are caught each year and required to be released to...
Once you arrive at the lake you will know it is a bass lake. Submerged trees circle the shoreline providing magazine picture appeal. If you take a walk onto the boat dock you will see a wall literally covered with pictures of huge bass and catfish.
A 2.5 mile stretch of shoreline is open to fishing at Sweetwater where mostly bass and crappie are targeted by anglers. At times the fishing can be decent, but on the whole, fishing is so limited that its not a legitimate option for anglers.
Upper Otay is one of 2 lakes in San Diego County that has a Catch and Release only fishing program. The lake is still an active hatchery and breeding reserve for pure-strain Florida Largemouth. Other species include bluegill, crappie and channel catfish. Rainbow trout have been lightly stocked in past...
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