Lake Del Valle, CA

1,100-acre reservoir near Livermore. A narrow canyon reservoir in the hills south of Livermore, a heavily stocked Bay Area trout water that also gives up striped bass, black bass and catfish.

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Where to start

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun) window is on — see the hatch outlook

Max 135 ft

Know this water and see something off?

Hatch outlook

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun)Active window

Typical here: May 1 – Oct 1 · multi-brood; a documented midsummer lull when surface temps push fish deep

nymphthe hours before the midday emergence — nymphs rise off the weed tops in a vertical zigzag that can take hours — sources split between slow 2–4 inch strips with long pauses and a quicker steady retrieve; carry both speeds
dunmidday, roughly 11am into early afternoon
spinnermid-to-late-morning falls

Trout browse the weed-bed edges knocking nymphs loose, then cruise the flats sipping duns at midday — the marquee western lake mayfly.

The midday emergence puts cruisers over weed flats in under 20 ft: a casting bubble with a #14 Callibaetis nymph retrieved dead-slow with pauses is the honest match. Between hatch hours, small spoons and #1 inline spinners along the weed edges and drop-offs pick off the same fish.

The event happens over weed flats and weed-bed edges in 20 ft of water or less

Damselfly migrationActive window

Typical here: May 25 – Aug 31 · Davis peaks around the third week of June; Crowley runs through July

nymphdaytime, over days to weeks — the event is the shoreward swim: nymphs leave the deep weed beds and migrate toward shore to crawl out, swimming with a sinuous sidewinder motion in the top two feet — retrieve TOWARD shore in small slow strips with pauses, nearly unweighted so it stays in the strike zone
adultsummer days over and around the weed beds — still on the menu into early September

The marquee visual event of western stillwaters — fish follow the migration into the shallows and 'shark' in behind a swimming nymph a few inches under the surface.

The best conventional window on western lakes: fish herd olive nymphs along the weedlines in a few feet of water. Work the smallest olive and gold spoons and #1–2 spinners slowly ALONG the weed edge and toward shore — direction matters, the naturals all swim shoreward. Everything happens in the top 2 ft.

peak migration flurries run days at a stretch inside the multi-week window

The event happens over shallow weed flats and weedlines, migrating toward shoreline tules, timber and other crawl-out structure

Chironomids (stillwater midges)Active window

Typical here: Apr 25 – Oct 31 · end of April to the end of October at Crowley — the main food source for the entire season

nymphearly morning, start of the day — fish the bloodworm ON the bottom — 4–6 inches off the mud before the emergence starts
pupathe cool morning hours are prime — as the emergence builds, slide the pupa up to 12–15 inches off bottom under the indicator; a little wind chop does the jigging

Concentrates by DEPTH BAND and mud type, not a fixed spot: roughly 20–25 ft in spring, deeper midsummer, in against the feeder creeks in summer heat, 5–25 ft in fall. Match the band.

This one translates almost perfectly: a slip float with a 1/64–1/100 oz midge-pattern jig set 4–15 inches off bottom over a mud flat, dead-sticked with the chop doing the work. Depth control is everything — no moving lure imitates a hanging pupa; the float rig IS the technique.

The event happens over open mud flats alongside weedlines, channels and basin edges; feeder-creek mouths in summer heat

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Sep 30 · the East Walker and Upper Owens terrestrial program

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Lake Del Valle

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Lake Del Valle on the board.

Fishing Lake Del Valle: what the data says

1,100-acre reservoir near Livermore. A narrow canyon reservoir in the hills south of Livermore, a heavily stocked Bay Area trout water that also gives up striped bass, black bass and catfish. The lake tops out around 135 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.

The drawn outline gives you 13.8 miles of bank to pick apart. With a shoreline index of 3.7, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 21% of this chart. Figure 4 mi of water from one end to the other, 1 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Alameda County. For a second option, Bethany Reservoir lies 14 mi northeast.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Del Valle

In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (6 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (22 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (10 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (6 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Striped Bass fishing at Lake Del Valle

When the water first warms, striped bass slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is a 25 to 60 ft game here, winter a 20 to 50 ft one. Start at Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (6 ft)	Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn)
Summer	25 to 60 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (42 ft)	Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled)
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (10 ft)	Topwater walker, Jerkbait
Winter	20 to 50 ft	midday	Main-lake point (42 ft)	Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Del Valle

Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (10 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Secondary point (10 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (6 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake Del Valle

The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 45 ft for winter. The spot to know is Secondary point, a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (10 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (10 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Secondary point (10 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (6 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Del Valle

Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Creek inflow (6 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Creek inflow (22 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Shallow feeding flat (31 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (134 ft)

Crappie fishing at Lake Del Valle

The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Marina / dock area (13 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Marina / dock area (13 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (134 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Lake Del Valle also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 11 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 134 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 134 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 80 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 42 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 31 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 22 ft
Marina / dock area: dock line, around 13 ft
Secondary point: point, around 10 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 6 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Del Valle Boat Ramp — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Lake Del Valle 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 Del Valle specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official California fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Del Valle?

Lake Del Valle is about 135 ft (41 m) deep 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 Lake Del Valle?

Anglers target rainbow trout, striped bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill on Lake Del Valle.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Del Valle?

Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Del Valle?

For rainbow trout, 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 Del Valle?

Fishing on Lake Del Valle 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

Bethany Reservoir 14 mi · Clifton Court Forebay 18 mi · Big Break 29 mi · Franks Tract 31 mi · Suisun Bay 36 mi · Richardson Bay 46 mi · San Pablo Bay 48 mi · San Luis Reservoir 50 mi · Napa River 53 mi · Petaluma River 59 mi · American River (Lower) 72 mi · Lake Berryessa 75 mi

See how Lake Del Valle stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best smallmouth bass lakes in California · best crappie lakes in California · best bluegill 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.