Lake Perris Fishing Report

Bass fishing at Perris is in early summer mode. The spawn’s pretty much wrapped, and fish are scattering, with more pushing deeper. Still, anglers are picking off bass around flooded brush and wood with finesse plastics and Senkos. A few fish are still guarding fry in the shallows, but most have moved out unless they’re buried in cover. Topwater is starting to turn on—poppers and frogs are drawing hits in the early morning, especially along the edge of flooded vegetation. The bass should start turning on to the shad here shortly.

Bluegill are active, and some legit slabs are being caught close to shore on mealworms and shrimp. Catfish bite’s been quiet.

Water is up, temps are rising, and weekend crowds are building fast.

Bass are in late spawn to early post-spawn, with surface temps now around 68°. Most fish have left their beds and are holding in cover… brush, submerged trees, and rock edges are the key zones. Sight fishing is mostly done. You’ll find occasional males still guarding, but the primary bite is now on ambush-oriented fish tucked tight to structure.

Soft plastics are doing most of the work. Texas-rigged worms, Senkos, or drop-shots pitched tight to cover are getting the most consistent bites. Bites have been subtle at times, and some folks are missing fish by setting the hook too early. Let ’em take it. Green pumpkin and muted natural colors have been working, though some brighter colors are triggering strikes, especially in more pressured areas.

Shad are starting to group up in open water, pulling some bass out from the bank. The topwater bite is just starting to turn on, and near-surface swimbaits or underspins are producing around active bait. It seems the bigger fish are really focusing on the shad.

Bluegill are beginning their spawn period.

Bass are still active at Lake Perris, and after hanging offshore during the slight cold spell, they’ve now pushed up shallow into full-blown spawn mode with water temps holding in the mid-60s. The bite is tight to shoreline cover... bushes, trees, and submerged structure right off the bank. Moving baits are drawing the most attention, especially natural-colored Keitech swimbaits fished with a slow, steady retrieve. Slow finesse tactics have taken a back seat to baits with more movement, although lighter line is ideal with the water being so clear.

Bluegill are also starting to spawn, with some big ones being pulled on jigs and redworms.