Lake Piru Fishing Report

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.

Bass fishing at Piru has been wide open lately, with schools of largemouth staying active and feeding aggressively throughout the day. Most fish are on the smaller side... plenty in the 1-pound range... but the aggression and sheer numbers make up for it. A few 3 to 4 pounders are showing as well. Anglers watching their graphs are spotting clusters tight to structure or just off points in 10–20 feet and picking them off with small underspins, swimbaits, and finesse plastics. Topwater and shallow reaction bites have been productive in the early morning, with poppers and squarebills doing the most damage.