Diamond Valley Lake Fishing Report

The algae is way down with water temps dipping to around 79 degrees... and the bass have taken notice. Fish are slowly getting more aggressive as they look to fatten up before winter, though full-on fall mode isn't quite here yet. Early mornings and late evenings have been best for the reaction bite and topwater. Crankbaits run through 10-15 feet near rock or hard structure, and walking baits worked in the backs of coves have both been getting some nice fish in the 2-3 pound range. Midday is still all about finesse right now though... flukes and dropshots are your best bet. Stripers have been spotted schooling off the main points, but reports on what's getting them have been quiet. Once water temps get to the mid 70s, look for the bite to really take off.

Diamond Valley has been serving up a very good bite for both largies and stripers. Water temps are now hovering around 76 degrees, and algae still lines much of the shorelines... although it's improving from earlier this month. Bass guys are finding some nice quality fish in the 2-4 pound range, with the occasional giant upwards of 7+ pounds. In the morning, the reaction stuff is working well... crankbaits run along steep rocky banks, or topwater along points or in the back of coves (Chappos or Spooks). Midday is about slow-working soft plastic worms and creature baits in the same areas.

The striper bite has been solid too, mostly soaking anchovies on a Carolina rig off points. Nothing overly huge, but some nice keepers. The trick is using sonar to find the schools... then it's one bite after another.

The occasional trout is still being caught deep, but we are months from the last stock, so they are few and far between.

Water temps continue to climb at Diamond Valley (now around 67 degrees), good news for bass activity, but not so much for the ongoing algae issue. Bass are right in the middle of the spawn, with many already easing into post-spawn. But some big females have been caught lingering around beds on T-rigged worms and jigs. With multiple big trout stocks this year, some bass guys are keying in on using swimbaits and front-facing sonar. A few good 7-8 pound fish have been caught recently that way. Water clarity has dipped in some areas due to algae, but some have turned it to their advantage, catching fish ripping cranks and spinnerbaits.

The last trout stock was April 7th, but not a lot of reports coming in from the trout guys. The striper bite has been quiet, with the occasional shaker caught on jerkbaits and swimbaits.