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Fishing Bethany Reservoir: what the data says
160-acre reservoir near Byron. The lake tops out around 45 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Bethany Reservoir
Spring largemouth bass on Bethany Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Bethany Reservoir
Spring channel catfish on Bethany Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Bethany Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow feeding flat: a feeding flat around 17 ft that scores prime in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Striped Bass fishing at Bethany Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: striped bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. They move out to 14 to 45 ft in summer and finish the year down in 14 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a flutter spoon (deep) or a umbrella rig (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 42 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 32 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 17 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 5 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bethany Reservoir?
Bethany Reservoir is about 45 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Bethany Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, striped bass on Bethany Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bethany Reservoir?
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bethany Reservoir?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Clifton Court Forebay · Lake Del Valle · Big Break · Franks Tract · Suisun Bay · San Pablo Bay
See how Bethany Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best bluegill lakes in California · best channel catfish lakes in California · best striped bass lakes in California
Browse all California fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.