Diamond Valley Lake Fishing Report

Diamond Valley Lake is a large man-made reservoir that sits 95 miles away from downtown Los Angeles, or 471 miles away from San Francisco.
Overall it’s a popular lake known for its largemouth bass and striped bass fishing. In the winter Diamond Valley Lake is planted with rainbow trout. In this post you’re going to be given the blueprint to fish this lake.
So what are the best tips for fishing Diamond Valley Lake? There are three important factors you must know if you want to know how to fish Diamond Valley Lake successfully. First, you need to know what kind of fish is in Diamond Valley Lake. Second, it’s important for you to know which part of the lake each species can be found. Lastly, knowing what are the best baits that work on Diamond Valley Lake is vital. However, tactics, baits, and locations will be different for each type of fish that you target. So let’s talk about the steps you need to take in order to give you the best chance of catching a fish on Diamond Valley Lake.
Key Takeaways
This lake gives locals and visitors the opportunity to test their luck in catching one of the many game species this lake has to offer, such as trout, striped bass, largemouth bass, catfish, bluegill, and much, much more!
Here’s the most recent and updated Diamond Valley Lake Fishing Report – it gives you a quick and easy list of some really good fishing spots. If you’re looking for more detail on how to fish each spot scroll down into the article.
- Wildflower Coves
- The Wall
- Eastern Dam
- Rawson Cove
- Saddle Dam & Cove
- The Cutout
Here are some additional fast and helpful tips just for you:
- The easiest way to fish this lake is by boat, but there are areas to fish from the bank, or by kayak or canoe.
- There are public boat ramps to use.
- Camping and RV parking is available.
- You can buy tackle and groceries at the lake or at one of the tackle shops in Hemet.
About Diamond Valley Lake
Diamond Valley Lake is one of the largest and deepest man-made lakes in southern California. It’s average depth is 110 feet and a maximum depth of 260 feet when the lake is completely full. Being just under 4.5 miles long, fishing at Diamond Valley Lake can be amazing when you have 26 miles of shoreline to fish.
Important Lake Warnings
One of Southern California’s newest reservoirs is Diamond Valley Lake.
No one is permitted to touch the lake since it provides drinking water, t herefore, it is prohibited to swim, wade, water ski, etc.
Additionally, the kinds of boats, motors, and fuels that may be used on the lake are restricted and the maximum boat speed limit is 25 MPH.
Parking spaces are scarce, thus reservations are advised, so we strongly encourage you to contact the Marina.
Address: 2615 Angler Ave, Hemet, CA 92545
Hours:
Sunday 5:45AM–4:30PM
Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 5:45AM–4:30PM
Thursday 5:45AM–4:30PM
Friday 5:45AM–4:30PM
Saturday 5:45AM–4:30PM
(Christmas Eve) 5:45AM–4:30PM
Hours might change without notice
Phone: (951) 926-7201
Daily charges are as follows: Entry/Parking $11, Boat Launching $13, Fishing $9 ($6 for children under 12), and Shoreline Access $4.
yearly passes Vehicle is $165 and Launch and Parking is $399.
Algae blooms may be present which may affect fishing, swimming, and water contact in general.
According to parks.ca.gov, “every one of California’s new laws requires boat operators to have a California Boating Card. The card is required for anyone under the age of 41 to operate a boat in California’s waters.”
If you are fishing and camping, fire bans may be in effect due to the ongoing drought conditions.
What Kind Of Fish Are In Diamond Valley Lake
- Rainbow Trout
- Largemouth Bass
- Smallmouth Bass
- Spotted Bass
- Striped Bass
- White and Black Crappie
- Bluegill and Sunfish
- Catfish
Diamond Valley Lake Fishing Tips & General Strategies

This is one of California’s best bass fishing lakes.
And if if you’re in southern California, this should be one of your stops due to the amount of bass you can catch and how large they get!
Stripped bass, crappie, catfish, and trout are also in large quantities in this lake.
Unfortunately this lake can be a challenge to break down this body of water… So that’s why I created this Diamond Valley Lake Fishing Report to help you to easily start catching fish fast!

Diamond Valley Lake used to be a farming community before the land was bought out and a lake was created.
The surrounding mountains that create the lakes boarders are steep and lined with chunk rock banks, although there are some areas with shoreline vegetation.
Most of the fish such as bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish will spawn in the spring. Bass will spawn in 1’-15’-feet of water notably on rocky structure, gravel flats, humps, and small creek inlets and cuts.
When the summer heat sets in, the bass, bluegill, and crappie will move to deeper water to approximately 15’-30’-feet of water.
Focus on drops offs, channels, points, submerged humps. Deeper area with chunk rock ranging from baseball to basketball size will attract predatory fish like bass, crappie and catfish because it provides a safe area the prey (crayfish, bream, and minnows) can hide.
If you can find the ideal spot at the ideal depth then it will most likely assist you in catching fish.
But Where Are The Best Places To Fish At Diamond Valley Lake?
And in no particular order here is that list of the best fishing spots at Diamond Valley Lake.
DISCLAIMER: The material provided is for general information purposes only. It’s important to understand that any information provided in this article can change at any time. Any maps or graphics featured are not to be used as navigational aids. Fishing Blueprint will not be responsible for any personal injury or property damage from any misuse of the maps or graphics provided. It’s completely impossible to give you every single spot where you can potentially catch a fish. But, what this list does do is to give you a helping hand and narrow down to the most productive fishing spots.
Wildflower Coves

This area consists of 3 small, yet deep coves just off the main lake with several ditches that drain into it. There are also several drop offs and ledges which makes it unique.
It’s close to the boat ramp and offer shoreline fishing.
Effective baits for this area include: topwater lures, buzzbaits, crankbaits, soft plastic swimbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, swim jigs, hair jigs, and underspin jigs when the bass are aggressive. Flutter spoons work great in the deeper channel sections as well.
If the bass are timid, then drop shot, football jigs, Texas rig, Ned rig, Neko rig, Mojo rig, Carolina rig, and tubes all work really well.
Flutter spoons work great if you hop it down from ledge to ledge.
Located: north east side
Structural features: deep rocky coves, creek channels, ledges.
Best species to target: bass, crappie, sunfish
Most effective way to fish this spot: boat or kayak
Eastern Dam

The eastern part of the lake is home to this lakes longest manmade water retention dam.
The dam is covered in thick chunk rock, in which the size can range from small boulders to basketball sized rock (also known as “rip rap”).
Expect banks are steep with an approximate 45-degree downward pitch.
There are a TON of crawfish, bluegill, minnows, and shad seek shelter in this area, which in turn attract bass and other predatory fish.
It’s best to focus your efforts on cuts, piles of rock that create a ‘point on the point’, fishing the largest of boulders in that area, as well as, the transition areas from larger rock to smaller rock size.
During the summer, top water baits work really well one hour before and after the sunrise/ or sunset. An excellent midday strategy is to come back to this spot and scan this area with a fish finder and locate the thermocline. Chances are the bass will hold just a few feet above the thermocline. Once identified, target these rip rap points with a lure that can be used at that specific depth.
Effective baits for this area include: topwater lures, buzzbaits in the morning or on cloudy conditions. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, umbrella rigs, underspin jigs, swim jigs, hair jigs, lipless crankbaits, and soft plastic swimbaits perform well here in breezy conditions or during the midday.
In contrast, slower-moving baits such as drop shot, football jigs, tubes, wacky rig, Texas rig, Neko rigs, and Carolina rigs can be phenomenal when the conditions are calm or the bass are holding close to the rocks.
Flutter spoons work great in the deepest part of the point or over any secondary structures directly related to the point.
Located: east side
Structural features: rip rap banks
Best species to target: bass, crappie, sunfish
Most effective way to fish this spot: boat or kayak
The Wall

This spot I call The Wall. It was created by the construction crew that dug out the rocky material to help build all three of this lakes dams.
The this bank is covered in thick chunk rock, in which the size can range from small boulders to basketball sized rock (also known as “rip rap”). It also holds some boulder patches.
The banks are also steep in this area.
Look carefully at this spot with low water level…

Like that dam this area is also home to a TON of crawfish, bluegill, minnows, and shad seek shelter in this area, which in turn attract bass and other predatory fish.
It’s best to focus your efforts on cuts, piles of rock that create a ‘point on the point’, fishing the largest of boulders in that area, as well as, the transition areas from larger rock to smaller rock size.
During the summer, top water baits work really well one hour before and after the sunrise/ or sunset. An excellent midday strategy is to come back to this spot and scan this area with a fish finder and locate the thermocline. Chances are the bass will hold just a few feet above the thermocline. Once identified, target these rip rap points with a lure that can be used at that specific depth.
Effective baits for this area include: topwater lures, buzzbaits in the morning or on cloudy conditions. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, umbrella rigs, underspin jigs, swim jigs, hair jigs, lipless crankbaits, and soft plastic swimbaits perform well here in breezy conditions or during the midday.
In contrast, slower-moving baits such as drop shot, football jigs, tubes, wacky rig, Texas rig, Neko rigs, and Carolina rigs can be phenomenal when the conditions are calm or the bass are holding close to the rocks.
Flutter spoons work great in the deepest part of the point or over any secondary structures directly related to the point.
Located: east side
Structural features: rip rap banks
Best species to target: bass, crappie, sunfish
Most effective way to fish this spot: boat or kayak
Rawson Cove

Rawson Cove is a long and wide straight cove features a deep channel fed by several feeder creeks.
A really great hallmark about this fishing spot is there is one main creek channel that runs down the middle of it however, there are several other ditches (smaller secondary creek channels) that run into it, kinda like a leaf.
Look carefully at this spot with low water level…

The channel holds a large amount of submerged brush, ledges, rock piles, along with submerged humps, and sharp channel swings.
This is a great area for spring bass and crappie fishing.
The mouth of the cove is great for trout in the late winter and early spring fishing.
Some of the effective baits for trout and kokanee this area include: fish attractor (ie: flasher or dodger), trolling spoons, inline spinners, Rapala minnows, Quick Fish, streamers and flies.
Effective baits for this area include: topwater lures, buzzbaits in the morning or on cloudy conditions. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, umbrella rigs, underspin jigs, swim jigs, hair jigs, lipless crankbaits, and soft plastic swimbaits, perform well here in breezy conditions or during the midday.
In contrast, slower moving baits such as drop shot, football jigs, tubes, wacky rig, Texas rig, Neko rigs, and Carolina rigs can be phenomenal when the conditions are calm or the bass are holding close to the rocks or hard structure.
Catfish can be caught in the backs of the bays using cutbait, chicken livers, hotdogs, or premade stinkbait.
Sunfish/panfish can be caught using small trout flies, dough balls, and Slim Jim pieces.
Located: south lake
Structural features: deep water at the mouth, submerged and emergent vegetation, rocky structure, artificial structure
Best species to target: trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, catfish
Most effective way to fish this spot: boat
Saddle Dam & Cove

This is a large cove that also is home to Diamond Valley Lake’s smallest retention dam, Saddle Dam.
This one of the best areas to fish in my opinion.
It gives the angler many different structures you can target and fish, such as long riprap banks, multiple points, ledges, ridges, drop offs, rock piles, and humps.
Areas like these are phenomenal during the spring and in the fall.
Before trying to fish everything, be sure to take some time and scan these areas first with your fish finder to see if there are any bait or bass relating to that particular spot. If you see bait or bass in the spot then fish it.
Effective baits for this area include: topwater lures, buzzbaits in the morning or on cloudy conditions. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, umbrella rigs, underspin jigs, swim jigs, hair jigs, lipless crankbaits, and soft plastic swimbaits perform well here in breezy conditions or during the midday.
In contrast, slower-moving baits such as drop shot, football jigs, tubes, wacky rig, Texas rig, Neko rigs, and Carolina rigs can be phenomenal when the conditions are calm or the bass are holding close to the rocks.
Flutter spoons work great in the deepest part of the point or over any secondary structures directly related to the point.
Located: east side
Structural features: rip rap banks, creek channels, ledges, and points.
Best species to target: bass, crappie, sunfish
Most effective way to fish this spot: boat or kayak
The Cutout

This is a large cove that also is home to Diamond Valley Lake’s smallest retention dam, Saddle Dam.
This has to be one of the most popular places to fish because it can be so productive.
If you can fish this area during the week when there is a slower amount of boat traffic, then this can go off!
It gives the angler many different structures you can target and fish, such as long riprap banks, brush piles, ledges, ridges, drop offs, boulder piles, and ridges humps.
Areas like these are phenomenal during the spring and in the fall.
Before trying to fish everything, be sure to take some time and scan these areas first with your fish finder to see if there are any bait or bass relating to that particular spot. If you see bait or bass in the spot then fish it.

Effective baits for this area include: topwater lures, buzzbaits in the morning or on cloudy conditions. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, umbrella rigs, underspin jigs, swim jigs, hair jigs, lipless crankbaits, and soft plastic swimbaits perform well here in breezy conditions or during the midday.
In contrast, slower-moving baits such as drop shot, football jigs, tubes, wacky rig, Texas rig, Neko rigs, and Carolina rigs can be phenomenal when the conditions are calm or the bass are holding close to the rocks.
Flutter spoons work great in the deepest part of the point or over any secondary structures directly related to the point.
Located: south west side
Structural features: rip rap banks, creek channels, ledges, humps, brush piles, and points.
Best species to target: bass, crappie, sunfish
Most effective way to fish this spot: boat or kayak
How To Catch Fish In Diamond Valley Lake?
Rainbow Trout
California Department of Fish and Wildlife grows and stocks local lakes and reservoirs like this lake with Rainbow Trout.
Due to this lake being relatively unpressured, deep, and colder, and most other desert reservoirs, the stocked trout do very well.
Furthermore, trout are produced in local fisheries, they are healthy and have no limit on the amount of trout that can be consumed.
Typically trout are stocked frequently, however, it can vary.
Sometimes you’ll read this lake has steelhead trout, but no rainbow trout, or visa versa…
This can be confusing for a lot of people. Are rainbow trout and steelhead trout the same?
Short answer, they are nearly the same species.
But, if you have ever wondered, what is the real difference between a rainbow trout and a steelhead trout? We wrote a definitive report called, “What’s the Difference Between A Rainbow Trout Vs Steelhead”. Click here to read it, so you can end the confusion once and for all.
General Trout Details
Spawn: March-May
Food: insects and crustaceans.
California State Record: 27 lbs 0 oz. Caught 10/02/2005 in Lake Natoma.
Table Quality: Depending on the fishes diet, the meat can be white to orange-red in color. The meat is firm, flaky, and is considered excellent eating.
Angling techniques:
- Trolling with or without downriggers
- Fish attractor: 6in Shasta Tackle UV sling blade or a Jensen Trout & Kokanee Dodger in blue, silver in clear water, or chartreuse, bright pink in stained water.
- Trolling spoons such as a Krocodile spoon, Super Duper, Crippled Herring, Cast Champ, or Hus-Lure – simple, easy to use, can be trolled or cast-retrieved at any speed.
- Inline spinners such as the Bang-Tail and Shyster – gets a ton of bites.
- Minnow style baits such as the Luhr-Jensen Quick Fish and the Rapala BX minnow – known to hook up giant fish.
- Real or artificial corn – great because it will never spoil or mold over.
- Natural salmon eggs – it’s hard to beat natural salmon eggs when trout are eating salmon eggs, they’ll eat up jars of this stuff!
- Artificial salmon eggs – great because they float off the bottom – ideal in rocky or grassy conditions.
- Real worms – such as meal worms or nightcrawlers.
- Artificial worms – great for trolling and will never die.
- Dry flies (floating flies) – The insects that land, float, or live on top of the water, which are represented by dry flies.Investing in a kit gives you a wide assortment of flies and a good selection of types and sizes allow you to quickly adjust to any situation.
- Wet flies (sinking flies) – Wet flies imitate insects that develop and inhabit below the water level before emerging and rising to the surface. Investing in a kit gives you a wide assortment of flies and a good selection of types and sizes allow you to quickly adjust to any situation.
- Woolly bugger flies – One of the most popular fly patterns ever is the Woolly Bugger. These mimic small fish, leeches, larvae, and worms. Investing in a kit gives you a wide assortment of flies and a good selection of types and sizes allow you to quickly adjust to any situation.
Steamer flies – They can also mimic larger animals found in streams and rivers, including crawfish, larger leeches, and smaller fish. Investing in a kit gives you a wide assortment of flies and a good selection of types and sizes allow you to quickly adjust to any situation.
- **The number one key to successful trout fishing, is to use light line (2 to 6 pound) and small hooks (10-14 sizes), and small sinkers
Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass is a carnivorous member of the sunfish family.
California grows some MONSTER bass. At any time you could hook into a bass that could be your all-time personal best.
In general, if the water clarity is clear to a slightly stained lake. Meaning finesse techniques (like drop shot fishing), small lures (like football jigs), and thin diameter line gets you the most bites when the wind is calm.
On the other hand, if the water is moderately stained or murky, then you need to choose darker lures. This also means you can get away with using thicker diameter line.
Since the 1980’s this lake has been stocked with Florida-strain largemouth bass. Bass fishing in this lake is not as popular as trout or salmon fishing. Luckily, you can still catch a giant bass by lobbying large swimbaits for glide baits in trout patterns.
Once your arm gets tired you can still catch a ton of fish by throwing a drop shot rig, small crankbait, or dragging a Texas rigged Senko around a fish attracting structure.
If that doesn’t catchem, you can switch to either a drop shot rig or a Neko rig and target points, boulders, or channel swings.
Read more: Beginner’s Guide To Bass Fishing Basics – Tips, Secrets & Things To Avoid
General Largemouth Bass Details
Spawn: Spring, March-May
Food: Shad, minnows, small trout, small salmon, bluegill, perch, crayfish
California State Record: 21lbs 12 oz. Caught in 1991 in Castaic Lake at the main boat ramp.
Table Quality: Decent. Firm white meat.
Angling techniques:
Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass are a sibling species closely related to largemouth bass. They have a pretty brown/golden color and carry the nickname of “bronzeback”. There are a few physical features that make it different from the largemouth bass. Aside from being bronze in color, they will have gray-brown vertical bands and the most defining feature is the jaw does not extend past its eye.
Overall, smallmouth bass are most likely going about half the size of largemouth bass. However, pound for pound, a smallmouth can be incredibly aggressive and will put up an amazing fight.
General Smallmouth Bass Details
Spawn: March-May
Food: fish, crustaceans.
California State Record: 9 lbs 13 oz. Caught 7/3/2007 in Pardee Reservoir.
Table Quality: Similar to a largemouth bass it’s firm, white, flaky, mild-tasting
Angling techniques:
- Finesse jigs
- Mojo Rig
- Neko Rig
- Small crankbaits
- Football Jigs
- Soft plastic swimbaits
- Jerkbaits
- Chatterbaits
- Swim jigs
- Hair jigs
- Underspin jigs
- Drop shot plastic worms
- Tubes
- Streamer flies.
- Live baits: minnows, hellgrammites, and crayfish
Striped Bass
Commonly known as “stripers”, striped bass travel into freshwater streams to reproduce, yet they are saltwater natives.
Most landlocked striped bass will grow to an average size of 12-20 inches and weigh 1-3 pounds. However, some striped bass can grow to become enormous and can weigh as much as 70+ pounds!
Because their eggs need to move in order to hatch, stripers prefer freshwater rivers and streams as spawning places.
Once a lake or river is dammed off, the area is often inundated by landlocked stripers.
One great example of this is the striped bass that are found in the Colorado river lakes near the California-Arizona border. The river was a key spawning habitat before dams were created, and many giant stripers have come from these waters.
When targeting stripers, focus the majority of your fishing on the deepest water the lake has to offer. Stripers are typically nearby if you can find schools of shad.
It’s strongly recommended you invest in a good fish finder/ sonar unit. Bait fish will appear as a clump of tiny dots suspended in the water column. Additionally, striped bass will appear as larger arcs below or near the school of shad. If you see striped bass near the school of shad you need to fish it.
Stripers may be caught on a variety of baits such as minnow baits, jointed crankbaits, umbrella rigs, or swimming spoons at proper depths when the baitfish are suspended over the deep water.
If you notice any surface feeding action, using topwater baits such as walking baits, or surface prop baits such as whopper ploppers make fishing an absolute blast.
Jigging spoons perform insanely well when the stripers are deep.
Striped bass can often be found in medium to deep water coves and secondary lake arms. One of the first places to find striped bass is to look at your fishing map and find distinct changes in depth such as drop offs or river channel swings.
Striped bass can always be caught using live bait, cut bait (such as frozen anchovy, shad, shrimp, or squid – yep even in lakes), as well as chicken livers.
Lastly, trolling is another great approach to catch stripers. Use larger sizes of flashing lures. Stripers may be caught on a variety of baits such as minnow baits, jointed crankbaits, umbrella rigs, or swimming spoons
General Striped Bass Details
Spawn: April – mid-June in flowing water, current or rivers
Food: Shad, dead or alive.
California State Record: 67 lb 8 oz. 45.25 in. O’Neill Forebay. Hank Ferguson, Soquel 5/7/1992
Table Quality: The meat is excellent. It’s firm, flaky and white. There is a red lateral line that must be removed otherwise it gives off a strong “fishy” taste. Otherwise, these make excellent fish fry meals.
Angling techniques:
- Topwater lures
- Jointed Crankbaits
- Lipless Crankbaits
- Soft plastic swimbaits
- Spinnerbaits
- Jerkbaits
- Chatterbaits
- Swim jigs
- Hair jigs
- Underspin jigs
- Drop shot
- Tubes
- Frozen shad or anchovies as “cut bait”
- Small soft plastic swimbait
- Spoons
- Streamer flies
White and Black Crappie
If you like crappie fishing, this lake is filled with them.
The best time to fish for crappie in this lake and other lakes similar to it is in summertime while you’re night using a submerged green light. If you don’t know what a green fishing light is, or if you’re unfamiliar, then click this link to learn more.
Green light fishing at night in this lake is amazing. If you haven’t done it you are missing out. The nights are cool and the night sky is filled with stars…
Anyway, I digress…
White crappie tend to linger over submerged brush and timber and are found in schools. The white crappie are much more tolerant in warmer water than their black crappie cousins.
White crappie have a more “silvery” appearance and lack the dark vertical bars when compared to the black crappie.
Black crappie can be described as having irregular black dots and blotches on the back and have more of a “silvery-olive” background.
Average weight of a white or black crappie in this lake is probably going to be just under a pound.
General Crappie Details
Spawn: April – mid-June
Food: Larvae, small fish, and crustaceans. Threadfin shad and minnows make up their main diet.
California State Record:
- White crappie: 4 lbs 8 oz. Caught 4/26/1971 in Clear Lake using minnows.
- Black crappie: 4 lbs 8 oz. Caught 2/17/2021 in Clear Lake using minnows.
Table Quality: The meat is excellent. It’s firm, flaky and white.
Angling techniques:
- Live minnows under bobbers
- Crappie jigs
- Crappie tubes
- Silver spoons
- Spinners
Catfish
There are four species of catfish in California, the blue catfish, bullhead catfish, channel catfish, white catfish.
Catfish are predatory animals and scavengers. Some can get very big, while others remain small. They tend to spend most of their time on the bottom of the lake versus swimming higher in the water column suspended.
Catfish can have up to 8 whisker-like barbels by their mouths to help them detect food.
Blue catfish can get very big. They can weigh more than 100 pounds and grow to around 5 feet long. They have 8 whisker-like barbels by their mouths. They prefer larger cut bait and live bait
Conversely, bullhead catfish tend to be smaller and will weigh on average about 1-2-pounds, but can grow to around 4-5-pounds.
Channel catfish weight will range from 0.5-to-15-pounds in this lake, however the average weight will be between 1-4-pounds.
The smallest of all catfish in North America is the white catfish. These catfish are considered rare by anglers’ standards. They average 1-2 pounds and will grow to only about a foot.
All species prefer warmer coves, but can also be found scavenging near the marinas, or around the dam.
All can be caught with live bait, cut bait or dough bait. Some of the best baits you can use are chicken livers, hotdogs, anchovies, mackerel or sardines, catfish stink-bait/dough baits, or even night crawlers. warm coves or near the dam.
General Catfish Details
Spawn: March-June
Food: Carp, bluegill
California State Record:
Blue catfish – 72 lbs 14 oz. Caught 4/22/2003 in Colorado River (Riverside).
Bullhead catfish – 4 lbs 8 oz. Caught 10/7/1993 in Trinity Lake.
Channel catfish – 53 lbs 8 oz. Caught 9/22/2008 in San Joaquin River.
White catfish – 22 lbs 0 oz. Caught 3/21/1994 in Land Park pond (Sacramento).
Table Quality: Soft white meat. In the summer the meat will taste muddy.
Angling techniques:
- chicken liver
- hotdogs
- stink bait
- small live bluegill, sunfish, or perch
- Frozen cut bait; anchovies, mackerel or sardines.
Bluegill or Sunfish
Also known collectively as “panfish” or “bream”, these small fish are both predators and prey. They fulfill a mid-tier predator role in the ecosystem.
Panfish are highly aggressive and eat minnows, bass fry (newly hatched baby bass), and insects.
The bluegill has teal-blue coloring on the bottom portion of the chin and gill plate. It also has a solid black opercula flap just behind the gill plate.
Fun fact: The oldest reported age for a bluegill is 10 years.
With the exception of appearance and size, the redear sunfish is quite similar to the bluegill. The dorsal fin of the redear sunfish features tiny vertical bands that go downward. It has a black dorsal color and a yellow-green ventral tint. The male’s operculum has a cherry-red edge, while the female’s has an orange coloring.
These panfish are found on the shoreline and prefer nearby structures. They are incredibly aggressive and will quickly attack anything that looks like it could be eaten. Due to their aggressive behavior, they are one of the easiest fish to catch and are a great way to introduce someone to fishing.
General Bluegill/ Sunfish Details
Spawn: April and May
Food: Small fish and insects
California State Record:
Bluegill – 3 lbs 14 oz. Caught 6/22/2008 in Rancho Murieta Reservoir.
Sunfish (red ear) – 5 lbs 3 oz. 6/27/1994 in Folsom South Canal (Sacramento)
Table Quality: Firm, white meat
Angling techniques:
- Worms
- Dough balls
- Slim Jim sausages pieces on a small hook (not lying… it really works)
- Small spinners
- Trout flies
Sometimes called the “raccoon perch”, or even “ringed perch”, yellow perch can be best described as having six to nine vertical black bars draped over its golden colored sides.
Particularly on spawning males, the bottom fins flash with a bright orange brilliance, kinda like hot metal being pulled out of a kiln.
They are some of the most beautiful of all freshwater fish.
Perch are found on the shoreline and prefer nearby structures, and are incredibly aggressive and will quickly attack anything that looks like it could be eaten. Due to their aggressive behavior, they are easy to catch and taste amazing.
General Perch Details
Spawn: February thru July
Food: Small fish and insects
California State Record: 3 lbs 10 oz. Caught 5/22/1979 in Crowley Lake.
Table Quality: Firm, white meat
Angling techniques:
- Worms
- Dough balls
- Slim jim sausages pieces on a small hook (not lying… it really works)
- Small spinners
- Trout flies
Boat Ramps & Boat Launch at Diamond Valley Lake

Diamond Valley Lake Marina
2615 Angler Ave, Hemet, CA 92545
(951) 926-7201
Lanes: 6
Restrooms: Yes
Fish Cleaning Station: no
Showers: no
Gas: no
Camping nearby: Yes
Tackle Shops Near Diamond Valley Lake

Last Chance Bait & Tackle
3356 Wentworth Dr, Hemet, CA 92545
lastchancetackle.com
(951) 658-7410
Brass & Bass
39825 Alta Murrieta Dr b14, Murrieta, CA 92563
brassandbass.com
(951) 677-3316
Sportsman’s Warehouse
25070 Madison Ave, Murrieta, CA 92562
sportsmans.com
(801) 566-6681
Outer Banks Tackle and Sports
43169 Vía Dos Picos, Temecula, CA 92590
outerbankstackleandsports.com
(951) 406-3775
Camping Near Diamond Valley Lake

There are no campground near Diamond Valley Lake
Other Activities You Can Do At Diamond Valley Lake

Fishing is not the only thing that brings people to the beautiful body of water. Here’s a list of other things you can do!
- Diamond Valley Lake Aquatic Center
- Western Science Center
- Biking
- Bird watching
- Boating
- Kayaking
- Canoeing
- Sailing
- Camping
- Horseshoes
- Picnicking
- Hiking
- Gentle walking trails
- Nature photography trails
- Wildlife viewing
- Mountain biking
- Stargazing
- and most importantly… relaxing.
In Summary...
As you now can see Diamond Valley Lake fishing can be tough at times, but it’s not impossible and with the help of the Diamond Valley Lake Fishing Report… It definitely helps you get started on the right foot quickly and easily, so you can avoid wasting hours wondering where and how to get started.
Did You Get All This?
As fellow fisherman and content creator I thrive on helping others… I feel like I can do the most good by helping others… And frankly… I would feel like I did something wrong if you didn’t walk away feeling a little better about this lake.
I truly want to over deliver for you…
So Let Me Ask You Another Question…
After reading this helpful report:
- Can you see how this could change the way you would fish this lake?… To make it easier, faster… and… with less headache, less frustration?
- If nothing else, do you now have a better sense of where you can get started, even if you have have been here?
- Do you feel that you have a good grasp of what species to expect in this lake?
- Do you have a good understanding what baits are needed to catch each of the different species of fish?
- Earlier we came up with some helpful spots to catch more fish, can you see yourself considering any one of those spots? Which ones are you the most excited about implementing when you get to the lake?
- Is it fair to say that using these spots would give you a significant advantage over someone else who’s fishing this lake?
I Need To Ask A Favor From You And It’s Not Going To Cost You A Single Dime…
If you have gotten anything out of this free report; whether its knowing where to get started, what kinds of fish are in Diamond Valley Lake, what baits to use, where to launch your boat, where to buy a frosty beverage, where to camp, and other things to do when you’re at this lake…
Then I need you to do something that is going to help your fellow angler…
And that is share this report. Please share it to as many people as you can. It’s free to you and it really helps me out as a creator.
Lastly… thank you for spending your time reading through this report and I hope you have a luck on the water.
THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN HELP ME THE MOST: There’s a lot of information about this subject you have found helpful, and I’m sure you’ll be able to put some of the knowledge bombs to use. But sharing this report helps drive traffic which in turn helps me at absolutely no cost to you. I love creating reports like this for you, and you like reading these types of reports please share this with your friends, family, and fellow anglers.
Click on your favorite social media buttons to share this page now!
Other California Related Fishing Articles
- Bass Lake Fishing Report
- Clear Lake Fishing Report
- Castaic Lake Fishing Report
- California Delta Fishing Report
- Diamond Valley Lake Fishing Report
- Don Pedro Reservoir Fishing Report
- Lake Berryessa Fishing Report
- Big Bear Lake Fishing Report
- Folsom Lake Fishing Report
- Lake Almanor Fishing Report
- Lake Camanche Fishing Report
- Lake Isabella Fishing Report
- Lake Havasu Fishing Report
- Lake McClure Fishing Report
- Lake Oroville Fishing Report
- Lake Perris Fishing Report
- Lake Piru Fishing Report
- Lake Skinner Fishing Report
- Lake Tahoe Fishing Report
- Los Banos Reservoir Fishing Report
- New Hogan Lake Fishing Report
- New Melones Lake Fishing Report
- O’Neill Forebay Fishing Report
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- San Luis Reservoir Fishing Report
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