Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass and Spotted Bass Fishing in California.

Bass are one of the most sought after of all the game fish. Its appeal spans cultures, age groups and genders to tap on the heart strings of anglers everywhere. Join us in our endeavor to offer information about bass fishing on your favorite bass lake in the California area.

Northern California Bass Fishing Lakes

In Northern California be sure to try your luck for bass at Lake Almanor, Lake Berryessa, Bullards Bar Reservoir, Clear Lake, Folsom Lake, Lake Oroville, Lake Shasta and Trinity Lake. You'll find bass in plenty other waters in the area as well including private ponds, creeks and smaller lakes.

Central California Bass Fishing Lakes

Lake Camanche, The Delta, Lake Don Pedro, Lake McClure, Millerton Lake, Lake Nacimiento, New Melones Lake and Pine Flat Lake are the larger bodies of water that hold bass. Check the tributaries leading into and away from these lakes for potential bass fishing hot spots.

Southern California Bass Fishing Lakes

The larger bodies of water in Southern California that hold populations of bass include Big Bear Lake, Lake Cahuilla, Lake Castaic, El Capitan Lake, Lake Hodges, Laguna Niguel Lake, Lower Otay Lake, Pyramid Lake, San Vicente Lake, Lake Silverwood, Lake Skinner and Lake Sutherland. Lake Castaic holds the record for largemouth bass in California. Other monster bass have also come from Castaic.

The California state record smallmouth bass was caught out of Clair Engle Lake.

Bass are aggressive feeders and agile enough to chase down and catch most of their favorite foods. They are most easily caught during a feeding spree but can be enticed into striking an anglers bait for reasons other than hunger. They are predatory by nature and at times will strike at anything that enters their world. They are also territorial and at times strike anything that ventures into their domain. If it moves and they can get it into their large mouth, bass will attempt to eat it.

Spotted Bass
Micropterus punctulatus
World Record: 9.5 lbs
Easily identified by the dominate, spots along the lateral lines, they are found primarily in the southeastern states. Spotted bass are often called Kentucky bass, Kentucky spotted bass, Alabama spotted bass and Kentucky spots. It prefers warmer water temperatures from 70 to 78 degrees. They have a smaller mouth than the largemouth so use lure sizes similar to smallmouth tackle. They feed on smaller fish as well as insects, crustaceans, frogs and worms.

Contribute Knowledge

The purpose of the page is to provide specific information about fishing for bass in California. Find information on basic trends and seasonal patterns of bass here in the state of California. Look here for tips, recommended tackle, techniques and more. We want to help you make your bass fishing trips in CA more successful.

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For information regarding bass fishing in other states, see the list of states to the left

California fishing information.

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CA Bass Fishing - All About Fishing for Spotted, Smallmouth & Largemouth Bass in California.

22 lbs - 4 oz

21 lbs - 12 oz

60 - 80 Degrees

Prefers slightly stained to murky water with cover and little or no current.

11 lbs - 15 oz

9 lbs - 1 oz

58 - 72 Degrees

Prefers clear to slightly stained water and is comfortable in mild current. Prefers gravel and rocky areas.