← California fishing maps

Best spotted bass lakes in California

7 California waters hold spotted bass, 3 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The deep-water bass of highland reservoirs. Schools on points and humps chasing herring — always deeper than you think.

1. Folsom Lake — 281 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
2. Lake Berryessa — 275 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
3. Don Pedro Reservoir — 400 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
4. Millerton Lake — 288 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
5. Whiskeytown Lake — 232 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
6. Pine Flat Lake — 429 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee
7. Sly Creek Reservoir — 260 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Spotted Bass

Find the closest spotted bass waters to you →

When to fish spotted bass in California

• Spring 5–20 ft — Spots spawn deeper than largemouth — gravel points and pea-gravel pockets in 5-15 ft.
• Summer 15–40 ft — Offshore season: spots suspend over deep points, humps and standing timber, herding blueback herring and shad.
• Fall 10–30 ft — Fish follow bait to the creek mouths and long points — watch for breaking fish.
• Winter 25–50 ft — Winter spots stack on bluff ends, channel-swing banks and deep points — slow spoons and jigs.

Also in California: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best striped bass lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best brown bullhead lakes

Spotted Bass elsewhere: Texas · Oklahoma · West Virginia · Tennessee · Alabama · Georgia · North Carolina · Arkansas