Diamond Valley Lake
Riverside County Bass, Trout, Catfish, Crappie, Sunfish
306 Share
What's Biting - 1 week ago
Bass
Excellent
Striped Bass
Good
Trout
Inconsistent

Diamond Valley Lake Fishing Overview

Water Description

Diamond Valley Lake is a beautiful reservoir located between Riverside and San Diego, California. The crystal blue waters are set in among rolling hills and meadows with native California plants. The waters of Diamond Valley are designated for emergency drinking supply. Therefore, no swimming or watersports are allowed, leaving the lake undisturbed and ideal for anglers. The lake is famed for its abundant largemouth and smallmouth bass. Both species can be caught casting and trolling. Both species are notably active from spring to fall, with...

Diamond Valley Lake is a beautiful reservoir located between Riverside and San Diego, California. The crystal blue waters are set in among rolling hills and meadows with native California plants. The waters of Diamond Valley are designated for emergency drinking supply. Therefore, no swimming or watersports are allowed, leaving the lake undisturbed and ideal for anglers.

The lake is famed for its abundant largemouth and smallmouth bass. Both species can be caught casting and trolling. Both species are notably active from spring to fall, with large catch numbers being the norm. Largemouth bass weighing over ten pounds are caught with some frequency. Please note that smallmouth bass are strictly catch-and-release.

Anglers in search of multi-species fishing will not be disappointed. During the colder months, rainbow trout are stocked, including a unique yellow variation known as "lightning trout." Striped bass, catfish, and panfish also abound. In fact, Notably, Diamond Valley Lake is home to one of the nation's most impressive panfish populations; both bluegills and red-eared sunfish in the lake can reach weights nearing 3 pounds.

Diamond Lake is an extremely popular location for bass fishing tournaments so it can get busy on competition days. For those looking for a more serene experience, visiting on weekdays might offer better access to facilities and the best fishing spots.

Species:
Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Lightning Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Striped Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, Redear sunfish, Bluegill
Stocked Date:
Trout stocked 3 months ago - View Schedule
Trophy Fish:
  • Largemouth Bass: 16.43 lb - 2007
  • Striped Bass: 33.27 lb - 2010
  • Rainbow Trout: 15.45 lb - 2009
  • Catfish: 51.81 lb - 2008
  • Crappie: 3.47 lb - 2010
Boating / Access:
Open to all boating
Geography:
Max Depth: 260 ft
Surface Area: 4,500 acres
Surface Elevation: 1,756 ft
Excellent Bass bite
Trout, Bass, Striped Bass
76°F Mixed

Diamond Valley has been serving up a very good bite for both largies and stripers. Water temps are now hovering around 76 degrees, and algae still lines much of the shorelines... although it's improving from earlier this month. Bass guys are finding some nice quality fish in the 2-4 pound range, with the occasional giant upwards of 7+ pounds. In...

Diamond Valley has been serving up a very good bite for both largies and stripers. Water temps are now hovering around 76 degrees, and algae still lines much of the shorelines... although it's improving from earlier this month. Bass guys are finding some nice quality fish in the 2-4 pound range, with the occasional giant upwards of 7+ pounds. In the morning, the reaction stuff is working well... crankbaits run along steep rocky banks, or topwater along points or in the back of coves (Chappos or Spooks). Midday is about slow-working soft plastic worms and creature baits in the same areas.

The striper bite has been solid too, mostly soaking anchovies on a Carolina rig off points. Nothing overly huge, but some nice keepers. The trick is using sonar to find the schools... then it's one bite after another.

The occasional trout is still being caught deep, but we are months from the last stock, so they are few and far between.

1 angler found this report useful
Share
Good Bass bite
Trout, Bass, Striped Bass
68°F Slightly Stained

Water temps continue to climb at Diamond Valley (now around 67 degrees), good news for bass activity, but not so much for the ongoing algae issue. Bass are right in the middle of the spawn, with many already easing into post-spawn. But some big females have been caught lingering around beds on T-rigged worms and jigs. With multiple big trout stocks...

Water temps continue to climb at Diamond Valley (now around 67 degrees), good news for bass activity, but not so much for the ongoing algae issue. Bass are right in the middle of the spawn, with many already easing into post-spawn. But some big females have been caught lingering around beds on T-rigged worms and jigs. With multiple big trout stocks this year, some bass guys are keying in on using swimbaits and front-facing sonar. A few good 7-8 pound fish have been caught recently that way. Water clarity has dipped in some areas due to algae, but some have turned it to their advantage, catching fish ripping cranks and spinnerbaits.

The last trout stock was April 7th, but not a lot of reports coming in from the trout guys. The striper bite has been quiet, with the occasional shaker caught on jerkbaits and swimbaits.

4 anglers found this report useful
Share
TroutLocal
3,500 pounds
TroutLocal
3500 lbs
TroutLocal

Nearby Reports

Water temps are now in the high 70s at Perris, and summer mode is starting to settle in. Bass are still biting, but not in the numbers we saw a month ago. Overall, it's either...

It's Big Bear fishing season right now! Water temps have jumped into the mid-60s, CDFW trout stockings continue every couple of weeks, and the bass action really is picking up...

Diamond Valley Lake Weather

Loading Weather...
306 Share

Nearby Lakes & Rivers

258 Followers
Last report: 3 months ago
Catfish stocking: 2 weeks ago
162 Followers
Last report: 10 months ago
Trout stocking: This week
110 Followers
Last report: 1 year ago
Bass, Crappie, Catfish, Sunfish, Carp
Flyfisherman background image

Join FishCaddy Free!

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

Sign Up