Lower Otay Lake
San Diego County Bass, Crappie, Catfish, Bullhead
51 Share

Lower Otay Lake Bite Meter

5 days ago
Bass
Excellent

Lower Otay Lake Fishing Overview

Water Description

Lower Otay Lake, located in San Diego County, spans over 1,100 acres. Its shoreline stretches 25 miles and is dotted with a diverse array of structure, including tules, submerged trees, and drop-offs. This habitat sustains an elite fishery with giant fish, most notably largemouth bass, although big crappie, catfish, and sunfish thrive here as well. Trophy bass are a theme at Lower Otay, although they aren't easy to catch. The lake receives heavy fishing pressure throughout the year, especially during the spring and summer when the tournament...

Lower Otay Lake, located in San Diego County, spans over 1,100 acres. Its shoreline stretches 25 miles and is dotted with a diverse array of structure, including tules, submerged trees, and drop-offs. This habitat sustains an elite fishery with giant fish, most notably largemouth bass, although big crappie, catfish, and sunfish thrive here as well.

Trophy bass are a theme at Lower Otay, although they aren't easy to catch. The lake receives heavy fishing pressure throughout the year, especially during the spring and summer when the tournament season arrives. Still, the lake is open only a few days a week, which helps alleviate some of this pressure.

Fishing from the shore of Lower Otay Lake can be challenging because most of the shoreline is bordered by tules. Boating is the recommended way to fish these waters. Visitors can bring their own boat or opt for rentals. The boat ramp, rental services, and other amenities are situated on the west shore, and there's a fee for day-use and launching.

Species:
Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Black Crappie, White Crappie, Blue Catfish, Bullhead
Forage / Baitfish:
Threadfin Shad, Crawfish, Golden Shiner
Structure / Terrain:
Submerged Trees, Tules
Trophy Fish:
  • Largemouth Bass: 18.75 lb (1980)
  • Blue Catfish: 102.9 lb (2016)
  • Channel Catfish: 34.43 lb (1983)
  • Crappie: 3.37 lb (1992)
  • Bluegill: 3.5 lb (1991)
Boating / Access:
Most boating allowed. Rentals available.
Geography:
Surface Elevation: 485 ft
Sign up free to get notified of new Lower Otay Lake fishing reports.Sign Up

Latest Fishing Reports

Excellent Bass bite
Largemouth Bass
69°F

Lower Otay bass action is excellent right now, with spring conditions in full swing and water temps sitting comfortably in the high 60s. Bass have moved shallow, holding around brush, tulles, and structure near the banks, though a few are still hanging back on secondary points. Creature baits and beavers flipped into the brush are pulling...

Lower Otay bass action is excellent right now, with spring conditions in full swing and water temps sitting comfortably in the high 60s. Bass have moved shallow, holding around brush, tulles, and structure near the banks, though a few are still hanging back on secondary points. Creature baits and beavers flipped into the brush are pulling consistent bites, but the best action has been on chatterbaits and squarebills worked tight to shallow cover, especially productive in the late morning. And don’t overlook finesse tactics... the dropshot bite has been excellent for both numbers and quality.

Anglers are having big days, with many reporting 30-40 fish outings, mostly in the 1-3 pound range (although a few fish in the teens have been reported already this year). Just be prepared for the crowds, plus the grass and algae are thick, especially in the shallow zones.

6 anglers found this report useful
Share
Good Largemouth Bass bite
Largemouth Bass
59°F

The bass bite at Lower Otay has been fair to good, even with a slight algae bloom and cooling water temps. Shad remains the primary food source right now, so targeting baitfish schools with flukes, underspins, or A-rigs is a good bet. Topwater action is tapering off but still worth a shot if you catch some surface activity. Other bass are...

The bass bite at Lower Otay has been fair to good, even with a slight algae bloom and cooling water temps. Shad remains the primary food source right now, so targeting baitfish schools with flukes, underspins, or A-rigs is a good bet. Topwater action is tapering off but still worth a shot if you catch some surface activity. Other bass are transitioning deeper—working jigs or plastic worms in 20-30 feet has been good for numbers, though these fish tend to run smaller than the shad chasers.

11 anglers found this report useful
Share

Other Nearby Reports

Spring bassin’ is hot right now at Lake Poway. Big females have been showing up over the past couple of weeks, highlighted by a 14.8-pounder caught by Jed Dickerson—a new lake...

Started around 6am Saturday morning in the first cove just east of the dam. Decided to start in the back but didn’t see any signs of life and was only marking a little bait...

Lower Otay Lake Weather

Loading Weather...

Guides & Tackle Shops

Lower Otay Lake Map

51 Share

Nearby Lakes & Rivers

Last report: 2 weeks ago
Trout stocking: 1 week ago
75 Followers
Last report: 5 months ago
26 Followers
Bass, Catfish, Crappie, Sunfish
Last report: 3 weeks ago
Trout stocking: 1 week ago
79 Followers
Flyfisherman background image

Join FishCaddy Free!

Get local fishing updates & receive our weekly NorCal or SoCal digest.

Sign Up