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Winter in So Cal Means Time To Bring Out The Trout Gear
By Shawn Arnold
The local trout scene seldom disappoints. Our local pay to play lakes spend lots of money to insure that there are lots of trout come winter time. And even though some hard core saltwater fisherman can’t fathom the thought of trout fishing, some of the trout in our local lakes are as big as the yellowtail you caught this summer. And try catching that 18 pound monster on two pound test and tell me that is not a challenge.
If you live in southern California there are numerous excellent options for trout fishing within an hour or so from you. And that does not include San Diego which has five or six lakes for trout fishing. Another good pay to play trout lake is Jess Ranch Lakes in Apple Valley. Find out more about them at www.jessranchlakenews.com. In this article we will discuss Diamond Valley Reservoir, Corona Lake, Hesperia Lake, Irvine Lake, Laguna Niguel Lake and Santa Ana River Lakes. All these lakes have their own following of loyal customers for various reasons.
The one thing in common for most of these lakes is that you don’t need a state fishing license and there is a charge to fish in them. It is a nominal fee once you consider that the owners of the lakes have to: stock the fish, promote the lake, pay for staff, and keep up with all of the maintenance. These lakes are privately owned and are run as a business. Unlike the lakes in the sierra the government does not help with the stocking. And honestly this year I am not so sure how good of a job the government did in stocking lakes. The “pay to play” lakes are traditionally stocked with larger fish than one would expect to catch in a non- paying lake.
The one common theme at all these lakes is to use light line. While many could debate on whether you should use 2 or 4# test, unless you are trolling do not use anything heavier. Also if you do catch a big trout, please take the 3 minutes to retie your knot. Those 3 minutes could be the difference between catching or losing the fish of a lifetime. And as someone who has been broken off because I was too LAZY to retie my hook I can attest to how dumb you feel afterwards. This happened to me last year at opening day at Irvine Lake. I caught a 20# limit in a few hours and lost the two biggest I hooked right after I landed a nice one. In my excitement I just cast right out again after a long fight. Some dummies never learn. Hopefully third time will be the charm.
The one lake on this list that does not apply to the pay to play fishery is Diamond Valley Reservoir, which is on the outskirts of Hemet. This is a man made lake with excellent trout fishing with a unique stocking program.
All of the lakes have their own special breed or strain of fish to try to entice anglers. These are not your father’s trout. All of the lakes work hard to make sure that if you visit them, you will come back. Honestly some people love one lake and dislike the others. If you have not fished any of them I suggest you try them all and figure it out for yourself. You have all winter to try.
The following is a brief capsule of each lake. They are in alphabetical order. All six lakes have recently started their winter trout season.
Kirk Yauchzee with a nice Tailwalker and Sierra Bow caught at Corona Lake last year.
Corona Lake
Corona Lake is conveniently located off of the 15 freeway about 10 miles south of the 91 freeway. Big oak canyons and lush green meadowlands surround the lake. There are some awesome views from the lake. Corona Lake which is owned by the same people who own Santa Ana River Lakes like to brag that they stock the largest trout in southern California. Their current record is 24.5 pounds.
The lake has its own fully equipped tackle shop with bait, ice, drinks and food. Motorboats and rowboats are available. You can launch your own boat or fish from a float tube for a minimal fee. Fishing can be excellent from shore and this is what most people do. Dough baits usually work well here along with shiny lures and mini-jigs like Trout Trap Stingers or Lip Ripperz. The friendly folks at the tackle shop will help you select what to use and will tell you where to use it. If the Santa Ana’s bring some wind to the lake here, or any of the lakes they likely will be murky. If that is the case be sure to put some sort of scent on your lures. Angler Brothers Bite On, Lip Ripperz and Berkley all put out very good scents. Apply liberally and in my opinion your hits to cast ratio will go up.
This year Corona Lake will get their trout from a few different suppliers. Lake spokesmen Craig Elliot stated “this year we will have a constant supply of huge trout with full fins and gorgeous colors.” One of the places the trout will come from is Chalk Mound Trout Ranch, including the biggest Tailwalkers ever raised. As usual the pink meated big Mt Lassen rainbows (Sierra Bows) from Red Bluff will be planted. Mt. Lassen’s fame comes from the massive trout that it produces. Check out their website for the most up to date planting schedules and details. You can make your own judgment about the trout. There has been some controversy over the size of the fish planted in this lake and Santa Ana River Lakes. The bottom line is though, if you want a chance to get a state record or a huge trout, Corona Lake is a place to try. You can also see weekly reports at www.fishtacochronicles.com
For more information about Corona Lake check out their website at www.fishinglakes.com or call them at 909-277-4489
Diamond Valley Reservoir
Diamond Valley Reservoir is a man made lake that is fairly new. Located on the edge of Hemet and within a 90-minute drive of Ventura, Los Angeles, San Diego and the Inland Empire, the reservoir covers 4,500 acres and has depths from 160 to 260 feet, making it an ideal spot for both coldwater fish, like trout, and those favoring warmer water, such as bass.
The new lake record for a trout is 15.45 but most feel that there are many larger trout than that roaming the waters. The California Dept. of Fish and Game will be planting catchable rainbow and 10 per pound brown trout this year. Also this year they will be stocking Mt. Lassen rainbows, with most being in the 1-3 pound range. There will be some additional lunkers stocked. Wednesday is a good day to try the lake as they have 50% off boat rentals.
There is 2 miles of shoreline to try if you don’t want to rent a boat.
There is a nice tackle shop with every thing you will need. The number there is 951-926-7201. This is an excellent fishery and there is good fishing off shore. Another local place that will tell you what is biting and where to get them at the lake is Last Chance Bait and Tackle in Hemet. They have a store with trout and bass products. The experts there have all the info you need about fishing Diamond Valley.
There is a nominal charge to fish and park.
Jason Huckeba with a 14 pound rainbow taken at Hesperia Lake on an Orange Lip Ripperz Lure
Hesperia Lake
Hesperia Lake is a small 7-acre lake in Hesperia. While the lake is small in size it has become a popular destination for those anglers seeking a trophy-sized fish.
Lake Manager Ed Rister who says that 85% of his customers make the drive from down the hill (Los Angeles and Orange County) is stocking trout from Mt. Lassen Fish Hatchery. The weekly stockings will be of fish ranging from 2 to 20 pounds.
The usual trout offerings work here. Mini jigs, dough baits, worm and bobbers can all be successful. The key is to be willing to try something different if your offerings are not working.
According to Rister the lake also has its share of hard fighting sturgeon from 16 to 200 pounds. Any angler catching one of these prehistoric looking fish better harness in for quite a ride. If you catch one on your trout gear just smile till it spools you. The San Bernardino Mountain foothills and the tree- lined shores make this one of the more attractive local lakes.
There are also 57 campsites that are open year round. A variety of sites are available at Hesperia Lake to accommodate RV’s and tent campers. All sites have a picnic table and fire ring. RV sites will accommodate a vehicle up to 40 feet in length. Electricity and water is available in selected sites. They have a tackle shop and snack shop so if you forget your bait or need something ice cold to drink you can get it there. There is a nominal charge to fish there. The lake is eleven miles off the 15 freeway. For directions or more information contact the tackle shop at 760-244-5951
Irvine Lake
Irvine Lake is located off Chapman Avenue off the 55 freeway in Silverado Canyon. It is a very scenic 750-acre lake. You get the feel of being in the mountains when fishing there. Fishing is good from shore or from a boat. Anglers can rent a boat with a motor or a rowboat. A large group or family that wants to go in style and comfort can rent a pontoon boat.
For those anglers that like to fish from a kayak or a float tube they can launch from shore for Free this year. There used to be a small fee but they waived it this year. Private boaters can launch for a small fee.
Irvine offers a local spot for southern California anglers to hook into a brook trout and a brown trout. They also stock hard fighting steelhead in addition to the trusty rainbow trout that is stocked in all six of the local lakes .
The steelheads are notorious hard fighters. It is recommended that if you hook up to one of these hard charging freight trains to hold on tight and take your time. Since the key to catching fish in most these lakes is using 2 or 4 pound test, anglers must be sure to take their time and not try to horse the fish. Keep your rod tip up and tie a good knot. Also if you are lucky enough to catch a big fish, take the time to retie your knot.
For years Irvine Lake has received their trout from Calerveras trout farm in Modesto. These fish are well known for their size and fighting ability. The lake also plans on putting some 20-pound rainbows from Calaveras hatchery at some point during the year.
The current record trout at Irvine is a 22.8-pound rainbow. It was caught by expert saltwater angler Greg Stotesbery. The key to fishing Irvine as in all the lakes is to use light line. Dough baits work great here and if you ask other anglers around they will probably share with you their favorite combination. Mini-jigs such as Trout Trap Stingers and Berkley Power worms work well here. You can buy them in the tackle shop. Trolling is always a strong bet here. While I personally don’t like to troll, this may be the top method to get a nice trout at Irvine. The lake has numerous paid employees and volunteer helpers to help out wherever possible.
Besides a nice tackle shop there is a café to cook up a warm breakfast or lunch if so desired.
Find out more about Irvine Lake at www.irvinelake.net or call 714-649-9111. You can usually find their weekly reports at www.fishtacochronicles.com
Laguna Niguel Lake
Laguna Niguel is another Orange County lake. This 44-acre lake is in Laguna Niguel Regional Park and is surrounded by a residential area. It is a nice looking lake and very popular with float tubers.
Once again this year the lake will be getting their fish from Mt Lassen fish hatchery. They will be stocking Sierra Bows and that is it. Most fish will range from 2.5 to 4 pounds. According to their website 2,000 pounds of fish will be stocked every week. Fish up to 15 pounds are caught each year. This is a pretty lake with the trees lining the perimeter of the lake.
There are numerous excellent areas to fish from shore. They do rent boats for those who want to rent one but honestly you can do quite well off shore.
You can’t launch your own boat but as was said above this lake is very popular with float tubers. Like all of the lakes there is a minimal fee to launch.
Laguna Niguel has fly fishing tournaments and seminars. It strives to promote a family like setting. They have a concession stand for snacks and any tackle you may need.
For the upcoming trout season I have been told that Laguna Niguel will lower their prices on entry and launching your float tube. This is due to the tougher economy and they want to insure that fishermen have access to this beautiful lake.
For more information check out their website www.lagunaniguellake.com or call the lakes 24-hour hotline at 949-362-3885
Santa Ana River Lakes
The same company that owns Corona Lake owns Santa Ana River Lakes. Their claim to fame is the huge trout that they stock. While some have given them flack for planting these monster fish, others love to go there and try their hand at a potential record fish.
The lake is located off the 91 freeway and Tustin Blvd. It is on La Palma Ave. Believe it or not an angler pulled a rainbow out of there that weighed 28.10 pounds.
Like the other lakes it has a well-stocked concession stand that carries drinks, snacks and all of the bait and tackle that you might need. You can rent your boat from there but shore fishing seems to be a good bet most of the time. For a more complete offering of trout products visit Jimmy’s Outdoors on Tustin Blvd. right around the corner from the lake. Jimmy’s carry’s a huge amount of Berkley trout products.
Like Corona Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes get their fish from Chaulk Mound Trout Ranch and Mt. Lassen Hatchery in northern California. Mt. Lassen is famous for growing huge trout. This year they are going to get away from the behemoths that weighed up to 30 pounds and will plant more in the 6 to 12 pound range that fight harder than the big ones.
Try dough baits here but be sure to use light line. You can buy all you need at the tackle shop. Two- pound test is best but if you want to throw some iron like a Kastmaster or Thomas Buoyant some say that four-pound test is ok. Craig Elliot of Santa Ana River Lakes warns anglers that 2 pound test may be too light to tackle some of the monsters that will be planted this year. The best bet is whatever pound test you use, 2 or 4 pound, take your time and play the fish. You don’t win points for bringing it in the fastest.
For more information you can check out their website at www.fishinglakes.com. That is also the site for Corona Lake. You can call them at 714-632-7830
Final Analysis
As five of these lakes are privately owned and are for profit they will try to do whatever possible to get you to come back. Diamond Valley, which is the only one not privately owned, provides superb fishing as well. These lakes want their customers to catch fish. The owners or managers want to hear your suggestions. All of them have their different strengths and weaknesses. Go fish them all and see which one you like. Or at least go out, get away and have some fun.
