San Diego County Fishing Reports

Bass fishing at Lower Otay has been very good as post-spawn patterns take hold. Water temps are sitting in the low to mid 70s, and bass are feeding up across the lake. Finesse is doing the heavy lifting… drop shots, power shots, and free rigs are all producing, especially with smaller soft plastics like leeches and Roboworms in natural or muted colors. Bites are often coming on the fall, and multiple fish are being caught from the same stretches, signaling tight schools of bass holding in key areas. Crawfish are clearly part of the forage right now too, and baits that mimic them are getting bit.

Topwater is starting to pick up, but it’s still hit-or-miss. Plenty of followers, but they often won’t fully commit. Still, early morning blowups are happening, particularly around shallow tulies and structure. Black Choppos and feathered poppers are working well.

With tournament pressure on the lake, the bite requires more methodical work to unlock the active zones. Expect finesse to keep producing, with topwater continuing to improve as temps rise.

Water temps are pushing into the high 60s, and most bass have moved into post-spawn, but the bite hasn’t let up. Fish are scattered throughout the water column, from shallow cover down to 30 feet. Chatterbaits and Senkos are doing work up shallow, while jerkbaits and dropshots are tagging fish deeper. Keep an eye out for silversides schooling... once that kicks in, the topwater bite should blow open.

Dixon just received another 1,000 pounds of trout today, adding to an already very good bite for smaller fish. Jigs remain the mainstay for limits, but some anglers are picking off fish with small spoons and floating nightcrawlers. Water temps are in the mid to high 60s, so trout action may taper off quickly once things push into the 70s.

Bass action has been good, especially for 1–2 pounders pushed tight into the shallows. Small swimbaits, dropshots, and Texas-rigged worms or creature baits are getting bit. A few 3–6 pound fish have been spotted cruising the banks but have been tough to fool. With fresh trout in the water, now’s a good time to break out the big trout-pattern swimbaits and take a shot at a giant.