Fishing Report For San Luis Reservoir, CA

By Rick Seaman

March 24, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
San Luis Reservoir Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Boat Launch Ramps
Fishing License
Map
Contact Info

Fishing Report San Luis Reservoir, CA

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species San Luis Reservoir, CA

Striped Bass

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

Lots of big stripers roam the waters of San Luis Reservoir, and anglers are catching some really nice ones this year. Those who are being successful at fishing for stripers here are locating schools of bait, and stripers in an area and working the area by trolling or casting. Fish finders are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Swimbaits, jerkbaits, crankbaits, spoons, live bait and cut bait are all effective here.

Black Crappie

Uncle Buck's Panfish Creatures Curly Tail Minnow Rigged

Current Report: Fair To Good
Outlook: Good

Thanks to the popularity of striper fishing here, fishing pressure on crappie is down. Those that are focusing on crappie are catching some nice slabs. Spring is always the premiere time to be on the water as crappie move into shallow coves to spawn. With limited cover, brush piles and rocky areas a good place to find crappie. Locals are casting small crappie jigs, or live minnows, on light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line. Using fish finders to locate schools of crappie, can really enhance the fishing.

Largemouth Bass

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good

Umbrella rigs are popular here because they are catching a lot of bass, both largemouth and stripers. Other lures catching nice largemouth bass here include jerkbaits, crankbaits, topwater and plastic worms of all kinds. Stick worms, rigged wacky style, often entices wary bass to take the bait when nothing else seems to peak their interest.

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.

San Luis Reservoir is a 12,700 acre lake, with 14 miles of shoreline wrapping the lake. Bragging size striped bass are caught with regularity, and the lake also offers fishing for bass, crappie, trout, catfish and bluegill. Lake levels drop and rise often, and the area can be excessively windy at times.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

Click here for boat ramps available at this lake.

Fishing License

Click here for a California fishing license.

Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".