Fishing San Luis Reservoir In Central CA

AKA: San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area

Popular Fish Species
San Luis Reservoir Fishing Video
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San Luis Reservoir, CA

Popular Fish Species San Luis Reservoir, CA

San Luis Reservoir Popular Fish - Striped Bass

Striped Bass Fishing

If you enjoy catching big fish, come fish for striped bass at San Luis Reservoir. The stripers are plentiful, run in schools and can grow to bragging size. In Spring and Fall work the upper end of the lake where water is flowing into the lake. Look for deeper water in the river channel, as a holding place for stripers. In Summer and Winter, stripers hang out in deeper water during the day Morning often draws the stripers to much shallower water, look for them from the surface down to around the 20-foot range as they feed on shallow-running schools of bait. The lake is filled with plenty of baitfish and sunfish to to keep the fishery thriving. Being successful at fishing for stripers is a matter of locating schools of bait, and the wolf packs of stripers which are likely to be nearby. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Live bait is very effective here, and stripers can be caught year round.

San Luis Reservoir Popular Fish - Black Crappie

Black Crappie Fishing

A nice population of healthy, black crappie reside in San Luis Reservoir. Crappie tend to run in schools, and once a school is located, there is a good chance for catching significant numbers. Crappie fishing is easy and requires simple, basic gear. Virtually any fishing pole, reasonably small line and crappie jigs or small hooks baited with live bait, creates the ideal setup. Add a bobber and you can set the depth you prefer the bait to maintain. The best time to catch crappie tends to be at dawn and dusk. Live bait and small jigs are the most common method for crappie here. Because crappie prefer cover and structure, locate brush and vegetation in appropriate water depths. Using a fish finder can help locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover. In spring and fall focus on the 8 to 12 foot range. As the crappie move deep in summer and winter, follow points out deep, as well as find ledges near channels in deeper water.

San Luis Reservoir Popular Fish - Largemouth Bass

Largemouth Bass Fishing

San Luis Reservoir is a popular bass fishing lake with beginner and accomplished bass anglers. Recent results by bass anglers attest to the fact that fishing for largemouth bass has been quite good. A history of careful fisheries management by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has helped to maintain a thriving bass fishery. In San Luis Reservoir, bass often move shallow and become fairly aggressive when they are in a feeding mood. Use shallow crankbaits around rip rap. Around grass, use worms, jigs, topwater and spinnerbaits. In deeper water, drop shot rigs, big worms, jigs and spoons are good options. In winter, spend your time fishing deeper structure where the bass spend much of their time.

San Luis Reservoir Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, rainbow trout, bluegill and striped bass at San Luis Reservoir in California.

Bragging size striped bass are caught with regularity at San Luis Reservoir, a 12,700 acre lake, located in the west central part of the state, 10 miles west of Los Banos. Just five miles off Interstate 5, this is an easy getaway for a weekend of boating, camping and fishing.

Bass, crappie, trout, catfish and bluegill inhabit the relative shallows of the fourteen miles of shoreline wrapping the lake. Stripers roam the deeper channels and ledges, many growing to trophy size. Lake levels drop and rise often, and the area can be excessively windy at times. Primary boating access is via the nice boat launch ramp and facilities at the Dinosaur Point State Park Entrance Station, on the west side of the lake on Dinosaur Point. A second boat landing is located at the Basalt Day Use Area in the southeast corner of the lake.

Primary fish species residing in San Luis Reservoir

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

San Luis Reservoir Amenities

Marina: NO
Boat Rental: NO
Boat Launch Ramp: YES
Campgrounds: YES
RV Hookups: YES
Lodging: NEARBY
Convenience Store: NEARBY
Bait & Tackle: NEARBY
Restaurant: NEARBY

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

Dinosaur Point State Park Boat Ramp
Located in the northwest corner of the lake, off Dinosaur Point Road, this is a two-lane, concrete ramp with a dock and paved parking.