Lake Isabella Fishing Report

Bass as Isabella are finally fired up and pushing into the shallows. Fish are holding tight to cover, with bites coming on a mix of reaction baits and soft plastics. Chatterbaits, tubes, and weightless Senkos are all getting eaten, while there are still a few deeper fish chewing on Texas rigs and crankbaits. Fly anglers are doing damage with small baitfish patterns, stripping it through 8-10 feet of water on a sinking leader.

Crappie are scattered but catchable. Trout fishing also got a boost with a fresh CDFW plant this week… rainbows are biting bait and spoons around the usual access points.

The renowned winter crappie bite at Lake Isabella is in full effect and has been for the past month. Anglers are consistently catching big crappie using sonar to target submerged structures in 20-30 feet of water. Mini jigs have been the go-to, but those with access to live shiners are crushing it as well.

Crappie aren’t the only hot bite right now. Big largemouth bass are being caught in 15-20 feet of water, primarily off rocky shorelines. Reports indicate the fish are consistently between 4-8 pounds. Crawfish and baitfish imitations are key—jigs, A-rigs, and swimbaits are all producing. Catfish are also biting well, and a few holdover trout are being picked up on the north side.

Fishing at Lake Isabella is solid, especially around Rocky Point and the Camp 9 area. Bass anglers are finding a great topwater bite at dawn on white Spooks and prop baits. Switching to jigs, drop-shot worms, and creature baits as the topwater bite slows keeps the action consistent throughout the day. A few trout are being picked off by fly anglers fishing shallow in the areas mentioned above; otherwise, trolling spoons is getting the most action.

The crappie bite is also very good near submerged structure with live bait or jigs. Catfish are still being caught on chicken livers and shrimp.