Riverside County Fishing Reports

Bass fishing at Perris is in early summer mode. The spawn’s pretty much wrapped, and fish are scattering, with more pushing deeper. Still, anglers are picking off bass around flooded brush and wood with finesse plastics and Senkos. A few fish are still guarding fry in the shallows, but most have moved out unless they’re buried in cover. Topwater is starting to turn on—poppers and frogs are drawing hits in the early morning, especially along the edge of flooded vegetation. The bass should start turning on to the shad here shortly.

Bluegill are active, and some legit slabs are being caught close to shore on mealworms and shrimp. Catfish bite’s been quiet.

Water is up, temps are rising, and weekend crowds are building fast.

Bass fishing is in transition as largemouth shift offshore into deeper water following the spawn. Expect most fish to be smaller (1–1.5 lbs), suspended around submerged timber or rocky structure. Your best bet is a drop-shot rig fished between 20–30 feet, especially around isolated cover and deeper brush piles near sharp depth changes. Swimbaits worked slowly along edges or points adjacent to spawning flats have occasionally triggered bigger post-spawn bass.

The striper bite remains very good but primarily deep, mostly below 40 feet. Anglers are soaking small anchovy chunks on light line directly over submerged humps and ledges. Most stripers are smaller, school-sized fish under 2 lbs, but an occasional 8–10 lb fish is being caught as well. Topwater action isn’t here yet but typically ignites as water temperatures climb further into summer. Look for those boils.

Bass are in late spawn to early post-spawn, with surface temps now around 68°. Most fish have left their beds and are holding in cover… brush, submerged trees, and rock edges are the key zones. Sight fishing is mostly done. You’ll find occasional males still guarding, but the primary bite is now on ambush-oriented fish tucked tight to structure.

Soft plastics are doing most of the work. Texas-rigged worms, Senkos, or drop-shots pitched tight to cover are getting the most consistent bites. Bites have been subtle at times, and some folks are missing fish by setting the hook too early. Let ’em take it. Green pumpkin and muted natural colors have been working, though some brighter colors are triggering strikes, especially in more pressured areas.

Shad are starting to group up in open water, pulling some bass out from the bank. The topwater bite is just starting to turn on, and near-surface swimbaits or underspins are producing around active bait. It seems the bigger fish are really focusing on the shad.

Bluegill are beginning their spawn period.