Lake Piru Fishing Report

Water temps are pushing into the upper 70s and low 80s at Piru, and the bass bite has been great. Numbers have been excellent, though not many fish are going over 2 pounds... which is typical for Piru anyway. Twenty to thirty fish days haven't been uncommon. Baitfish imitating jerkbaits and cranks... Lucky Craft Pointers and Rapala Shad Raps are producing extremely well thrown toward the bank near transition zones and rock structure. Drop-shot anglers are also catching fish a bit deeper. The wind has been picking up in the afternoons, so either go early or target protected areas.

Piru has been turning out good bass numbers lately. Water temps are sitting in the mid-to-high 60s, and fish have moved shallow, getting very active all around the lake. The best action isn't coming on spawning fish though, it's been mostly schooling bass chasing bait in open water and off points. Baitfish-colored jerkbaits and walking baits are getting crushed once you find the schools. Covering water quickly has been the smart play until you find them. Then it's about working that school hard until the bite quiets. Some finesse guys are finding fish on drop shots and t-rigged worms, but that action has been less consistent.

The bass bite at Piru is still producing good numbers, with swimbaits and finesse soft plastics doing most of the work and some early topwater action (Chappos) along the rocks. Jigs are sticking better fish deeper, but changing water conditions may start to shift fish behavior and patterns. A major drawdown began in mid-September as part of a groundwater recharge effort. The plan is to cut the reservoir from 39,000 to 15,000 acre-feet. With levels dropping fast and the rec area closed, expect limited access and shrinking structure options in the coming weeks.