Diamond Valley Lake Fishing Report

Diamond Valley Lake lit up this past week after the final trout plant of the season. On April 15, 3,500 pounds of rainbow and lightning trout were stocked, and the bite kicked off immediately. Limits are coming fast, especially around the East Dam and the coves near the marina. Fish are cruising shallow, and small yellow or chartreuse jigs have been doing most of the work.

Bass fishing has also been very good, with post-spawn fish still feeding at a high clip. Finesse tactics have been best, with bigger Senkos and Texas-rigged worms sticking the better-quality fish. The striper bite, after months of steady action, is starting to slow. There are still schools around, but they’re scattered and less predictable.

Diamond Valley Lake is producing a ton of action right now, especially for stripers. If you’re after numbers, bait fishing is the way to go—anchovy and sardine chunks on a Carolina rig are out-fishing artificials by a mile. Schools of 1 to 2 pounders are thick, and if you’re on them, limits come fast. The bite is best right off the bottom, and if you’re not getting hit, check your bait and move until you find an active school.

Trout were stocked on February 11, and the fish have spread out, although there’s still decent action in the coves near the launch ramp. Go light on the leader and try micro spoons or mini jigs.

Meanwhile, bass are making their push to the shallows. They’re not locked into spawn mode yet, but they’re definitely staging. Soft plastics are the way to go right now for consistency—drop-shot and Texas-rigged worms work well. But the bigger fish are feeding on the newly stocked trout, so tie on a big swimbait for a shot at a giant.

Diamond Valley has been on fire lately, with the striper bite really taking off for both size and numbers. And on the 21st of this month, a 3,500-pound stock of Mt. Lassen trout hit the water, setting the stage for plenty of trout action. Anglers are spotting massive schools of trout cruising around the lake, especially near the dam. Tubes, jigs, and PowerBait have all been working well, landing fish up to 4-5 pounds.

The striper bite, as mentioned, has been excellent with 20+ fish days not uncommon. Last week saw a few double-digit giants, with a 27-pound highlight reported by lake staff. Soaking anchovies has been great for numbers, but swimbaits, and jerkbaits are getting the higher-quality bites.

A 7+ pound largemouth was caught a couple of weeks ago as well. With this recent trout stocking, both bass and stripers will start zoning in on bigger baits. Now’s the time to break out those trout imitation lures and start casting!