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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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The outline encloses 189 acres, worked by 7.8 miles of shoreline. The 4.1 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 50% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 2.2 mi, about 1 mi across. Alameda County claims this one. If the bite dies, Clifton Court Forebay is 4 mi to the northeast.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 6 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (32 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Put Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (42 ft) |
Spring bluegill on Bethany Reservoir hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow feeding flat first on the milk run — a feeding flat near 17 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring puts striped bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 14 to 45 ft, wintering in 14 to 45 ft. Spring striped bass concentrate at Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (5 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (42 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Old creek channel (13 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 42 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for California waters are set by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Bethany Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Bethany Reservoir is about 45 ft (14 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, striped bass 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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Bethany Reservoir is regulated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Check the official California regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Clifton Court Forebay 4 mi · Lake Del Valle 14 mi · Big Break 17 mi · Franks Tract 18 mi · Suisun Bay 29 mi · San Pablo Bay 46 mi · Napa River 48 mi · Richardson Bay 48 mi · Petaluma River 56 mi · San Luis Reservoir 58 mi · American River (Lower) 58 mi · Lake Berryessa 66 mi
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 see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.