Santa Ana River Lakes Fishing Report

Catfish season wrapped up with the final stock on November 6, and trout season is now underway. Lassen rainbows hit the lake on November 13, with a second plant just yesterday (November 20). Powerbait, mini jigs, and night crawlers are always solid go-tos. Even though the catfish plants are done, anglers are still picking off plenty of fish on chicken liver and mackerel. These lakes aren’t cheap to fish, but they offer a legit shot at landing trophy sized fish. Remember, all catfish over 15 pounds are catch and release, along with any-sized largemouth bass or sturgeon.

Santa Ana River Lakes is known to be loaded with hefty trout and is typically stocked every Thursday during the season (latest coming Feb 6). Big Mt Lassen rainbows with rich pink meat are being caught all around the lake, and some true giants are mixed in.

Jigs and micro spoons are getting action and bait soakers are doing fine with PowerBait. But the real highlight lately has been inflated nightcrawlers, which have pulled in some tanks over 8 pounds. Catfish are still in play as well.