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Fishing Lake Berryessa: what the data says
20,700-acre reservoir near Napa. Napa County's big blue. Spotted bass on rock, kokanee and trout suspended deep, largemouth in the coves. The lake tops out around 275 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Berryessa runs 18,915 acres with 154.7 miles of edge — 17 islands included. A development index of 8 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 34% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Berryessa
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow flat (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake Berryessa
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (6 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Rock reef (9 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spotted Bass fishing at Lake Berryessa
Come spring, look for spotted bass tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 15 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 25 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shoreline point: a point around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot over brush or a underspin + fluke (schoolers) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 25 to 50 ft | midday | Break off the point (124 ft) | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
Kokanee fishing at Lake Berryessa
The spring pattern is a shallow one: kokanee in 10 to 30 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 30 to 70 ft before dropping to 20 to 80 ft for winter. The spot to know is Trout Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Deep basin (234 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Trout Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Berryessa
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Trout Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in the 8-ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Trout Creek inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Trout Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (9 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Trout Creek inflow (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Berryessa
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Spring channel catfish concentrate at Trout Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Trout Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Trout Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (138 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (234 ft) |
Lake Berryessa also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 234 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 138 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 124 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 69 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 69 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 13 ft
- Shallow flat: weed flat, around 10 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 9 ft
- Trout Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 6 ft
Lake Berryessa fishing regulations
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 Lake Berryessa specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Lake Berryessa?
Lake Berryessa is about 275 ft (84 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Lake Berryessa?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, rainbow trout, kokanee, spotted bass on Lake Berryessa.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Berryessa?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Berryessa?
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.
What are the fishing regulations for Lake Berryessa?
Fishing on Lake Berryessa 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.
Nearby waters
San Pablo Bay 39 mi · Suisun Bay 39 mi · Clear Lake 41 mi · American River (Lower) 48 mi · Big Break 50 mi · Richardson Bay 51 mi · Franks Tract 52 mi · Folsom Lake 64 mi · Clifton Court Forebay 64 mi · Bethany Reservoir 66 mi · Lake Del Valle 75 mi · Sly Creek Reservoir 92 mi
See how Lake Berryessa stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best smallmouth bass lakes in California · best crappie lakes in California · best channel catfish lakes in California
Browse all California fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.