Castaic Lake
Los Angeles County Bass, Trout, Catfish, Sunfish
129 Share

Castaic Lake Bite Meter

1 week ago
Bass
Hot
Striped Bass
Fair

Castaic Lake Fishing Overview

Water Description

Castaic Lake is renowned for its big largemouth bass fishing. The lake features a 2,000-acre main section and an adjoining lagoon. Both sections provide elite fishing for trophy-sized fish. Introduced with Florida-Strain bass in the 1970s, Castaic saw a major growth in both the number and size of these fish. Enormous bass weighing up to 20 pounds have been documented, with 10-plus pounders being somewhat common. It's not unlikely to hook multiple bass in the 3-5 pound range. The largemouth bite dominates the lake in spring and summer. Though...

Castaic Lake is renowned for its big largemouth bass fishing. The lake features a 2,000-acre main section and an adjoining lagoon. Both sections provide elite fishing for trophy-sized fish.

Introduced with Florida-Strain bass in the 1970s, Castaic saw a major growth in both the number and size of these fish. Enormous bass weighing up to 20 pounds have been documented, with 10-plus pounders being somewhat common. It's not unlikely to hook multiple bass in the 3-5 pound range. The largemouth bite dominates the lake in spring and summer.

Though largemouth fishing is the primary attraction, a strong population of smallmouth and a yearly stocking of rainbow trout (a major food source for the big largemouth) provide cool water action for anglers outside of the warmer months. Anglers also target stripers, channel cats, and panfish at Castaic.

Species:
Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Striped Bass, Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Bluegill
Stocked Date:
Trout stocked 3 months ago - View Schedule
Forage / Baitfish:
Sunfish, Trout, Crawfish
Structure / Terrain:
Coves, Docks, Dropoffs, Points, Steep Banks, Submerged Boulders/Rocks
Trophy Fish:
  • Largemouth Bass: 21 lb 12 oz - 1991
  • Striped Bass: 43 lb 1 oz
  • Channel Catfish: 47 lb 8 oz
Boating / Access:
Open to all boating
Regulations:
Quagga and Zebra Mussels Inspections
Geography:
Max Depth: 330 ft
Surface Area: 2,231 acres
Surface Elevation: 1,500 ft
Sign up free to get notified of new Castaic Lake fishing reports.Sign Up

Latest Fishing Reports

Hot Bass bite
Bass, Striped Bass
64°F Clear

Bass action is wide open. Jim Taibi reports consistent action for both Largemouth and Smallmouth, with catch counts hitting 15–20 a day. Dropshot rigs are doing the most damage, but any finesse plastics or small 3″ swimbaits are working well. Bigger bites are coming on wacky-rigged Senkos fished along rocky slopes and secondary points. The bite’s...

Bass action is wide open. Jim Taibi reports consistent action for both Largemouth and Smallmouth, with catch counts hitting 15–20 a day. Dropshot rigs are doing the most damage, but any finesse plastics or small 3″ swimbaits are working well. Bigger bites are coming on wacky-rigged Senkos fished along rocky slopes and secondary points. The bite’s active but scattered… folks are doing best moving spots frequently.

Stripers are in transition. Bait is moving into coves like Elizabeth Canyon, and while a few fish are feeding, most surface activity is tied to spawning. They’re not chasing—just going through the motions. Unlike bass that guard nests, Stripers release everything into open water and let the wind do the mixing. During this phase, they’re tough to fool. A couple might swipe, but the real action should return post-spawn.

6 anglers found this report useful
Share
Good Bass bite
Bass, Striped Bass
64°F Clear

Jim Taibi from 611 Fishing reports that bass fishing at Castaic slowed a bit this week after cold weather and rain temporarily stalled the spawn. Smallmouth are post-spawn and aggressive, willing to hit a variety of presentations. Largemouth actions is mostly one to two pound males guarding beds, but some three to five pound fish are showing up...

Jim Taibi from 611 Fishing reports that bass fishing at Castaic slowed a bit this week after cold weather and rain temporarily stalled the spawn. Smallmouth are post-spawn and aggressive, willing to hit a variety of presentations. Largemouth actions is mostly one to two pound males guarding beds, but some three to five pound fish are showing up. Carolina rigs and dropshots are producing well, while wacky-rigged 5” Senkos in Green Pumpkin or Natural Shad have been getting the bigger bites. Jim notes using darker colors on cloudy days and natural shad tones when it’s sunny.

For striped bass, bait schools are moving into the backs of coves, which is a good thing, but the Stripers are still in pre-spawn mode, so the bite will have to wait a bit.

Water clarity remains excellent, with visibility up to 20 feet in some areas. Surface temps are running 62 to 66 degrees.

8 anglers found this report useful
Share

Latest Stockings

5,000 pounds
Trout CA Dept of Water Resources

Other Nearby Reports

The bass bite’s been heating up with the weather. Water temps are now in the mid 60s, and fish are sliding up shallow, smashing small swimbaits and jerkbaits worked tight to...

Went out on my kayak today landed 1 bass , felt great to be out on the water .

Castaic Lake Weather

Loading Weather...

Guides & Tackle Shops

Castaic Lake Map

129 Share

Nearby Lakes & Rivers

Last report: 2 weeks ago
56 Followers
Trout, Bass, Catfish, Crappie
Last report: 1 week ago
Trout stocking: 2 months ago
107 Followers
Last report: 1 month ago
58 Followers
Bass, Catfish, Tilapia, Carp, Sunfish
Flyfisherman background image

Join FishCaddy Free!

Get local fishing updates & receive our weekly NorCal or SoCal digest.

Sign Up