San Diego County Fishing Reports

If you’re chasing bass at Jennings, now’s the time to lean into that post-spawn bite. Fish are sliding out from beds and beginning to feed more consistently now, especially around rocky structure and drop-offs. Shadow Cove, Eagle Point, and Sentry Point are holding decent numbers. Morning dawn worms on a drop shot are a go-to, but Senkos and small swimbaits are working too. Morning and evening have been the best.

Trout action is hanging on, but it's heading deep. The surface bite’s fading fast with warming water, but folks are still getting fish 20-30 feet down near the dam or along the western shore. Trollers are getting the most action, but shore casters throwing PowerBait with garlic, or an inflated nightcrawler are getting fish as well.

On the stocking front, catfish season has kicked off... 1,500 pounds already dropped, with more coming mid-June. Night sessions are back. The lake’s open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, which is prime time if you’re hunting for whiskerfish or big largemouth.

Barrett’s been on a heater, plain and simple. Post-spawn bass are feeding aggressively, with numbers and size both in play. 50 fish days with top fish in the 6-7 pound range have been reported late. Fish are tight to cover... bushes, rocks, and submerged trees... and eating a range of baits. Jigs have been the top producer, especially black and blue paired with longer trailers like Power Lizards. Most bites are coming on the fall and close to structure.

Spinnerbaits and Texas rigs are filling in when the jig bite slows, and topwater is starting to come alive with poppers and walking baits getting hit early and late. Finesse setups like micro jigs and TRDs are also getting bit, especially along transition banks. The lake’s rising water levels seem to be fueling one of the best seasons in years.

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.