Lake Murray
San Diego County Bass, Catfish, Trout
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What's Biting - 2 months ago
Bass
Good
Trout
Fair

Lake Murray Fishing Overview

Water Description

Lake Murray may be modest in size compared to other Southern California lakes, but it's a heavyweight when it comes to its fish. Murray is renowned for its massive largemouth bass, but it doesn't end there. Giant crappie, catfish, striper, and rainbow trout are frequently reported by anglers (refer to trophy fish details). In the winter season, the CDFW stocks the lake with rainbow trout, making it an excellent spot for trout fishing right from the shoreline. Moreover, these trout become a prime food source for the rapidly growing population of...

Lake Murray may be modest in size compared to other Southern California lakes, but it's a heavyweight when it comes to its fish. Murray is renowned for its massive largemouth bass, but it doesn't end there. Giant crappie, catfish, striper, and rainbow trout are frequently reported by anglers (refer to trophy fish details).

In the winter season, the CDFW stocks the lake with rainbow trout, making it an excellent spot for trout fishing right from the shoreline. Moreover, these trout become a prime food source for the rapidly growing population of largemouth. As spring approaches, these behemoth bass become especially active. Given Lake Murray's gradually narrowing shoreline and its pebbly base, the fish have limited hiding spots. That's when a fish-finder becomes an indispensable tool for those boat fishing.

Remember to adhere to the 5mph speed limit and direct water contact is not permitted. Also, while you need your California fishing license, a daily fishing permit is mandatory too. Familiarizing yourself with the lake's guidelines is a smart move before setting out.

Species:
Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Catfish, Crappie, Bluegill, Redear sunfish
Stocked Date:
Trout stocked 3 months ago - View Schedule
Trophy Fish:
  • Largemouth Bass: 18.55 lb
  • Rainbow Trout: 12 lb
  • Striped Bass: 15.9 lb
  • Catfish: 33.9 lb
  • Crappie: 3 lb
Boating / Access:
Personal Boats, Kayaks, Canoes, Float tubes. No water contact allowed. 5mph no wake.
Regulations:
Daily fishing permits required
Geography:
Max Depth: 95 ft
Surface Area: 171 acres
Surface Elevation: 633 ft
Good Bass bite
Trout, Bass
67°F Slightly Stained

Water temps are holding in the mid-high 60s and the bass bite is improving day by day. Mostly smaller fish in the 1-2 pound range, but a couple of 5+ pounders were reported last week. Small jerkbaits and crankbaits have been getting fish for the reaction-bait guys... with that smaller lure size being key. Finesse soft plastics, drop shots and...

Water temps are holding in the mid-high 60s and the bass bite is improving day by day. Mostly smaller fish in the 1-2 pound range, but a couple of 5+ pounders were reported last week. Small jerkbaits and crankbaits have been getting fish for the reaction-bait guys... with that smaller lure size being key. Finesse soft plastics, drop shots and smaller swimbaits, are getting the best numbers right now though. As water temps push toward the 70s, look for an uptick in fish quality. The last trout stock was earlier this month, but catch reports remain minimal.

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Excellent Bass bite
Trout, Bass
62°F Clear

Murray received its first trout plant of the season in the first week of December, with another CDFW stocking expected this week. There haven’t been many trout reports yet, as most of the conversation has centered on big bass. These recent plants have sparked a noticeable uptick in catch size over the past couple weeks, with bigger fish getting...

Murray received its first trout plant of the season in the first week of December, with another CDFW stocking expected this week. There haven’t been many trout reports yet, as most of the conversation has centered on big bass. These recent plants have sparked a noticeable uptick in catch size over the past couple weeks, with bigger fish getting more aggressive thanks to all that fresh protein in the water. Most of the bass being caught are in the 2–3 pound range on dropshots, underspins, and Flukes. That said, slow-rolled trout-colored swimbaits in the 6–8 inch range are the real ticket right now for trophies… especially with another trout stock going in this week.

6 anglers found this report useful
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TroutCDFW
TroutCDFW
TroutCDFW

Nearby Reports

The spawn is officially over at Miramar, and water temps are now sitting in the mid-70s... but the bite remains very consistent. Water levels are up, and there's plenty of...

The last trout stock of the season came in mid-April, and trout fishing is just about done. A handful of anglers are still probing deeper zones with bait and picking up a few...

Lake Murray Weather

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