Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
420-acre reservoir near Mountain Center. A high-country reservoir in the San Jacinto Mountains, regularly stocked with trout and also supporting warm-water gamefish. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Lake Hemet's chart carries 5 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (2.1) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. 73% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.7 mi with a 0.5-mi widest point. Queensway Bay sits 86 mi west — the closest neighbouring chart.
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 6 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring largemouth bass on Lake Hemet hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Lake Hemet hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 26 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 9 to 30 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 26 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 26 ft.
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 Hemet specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Lake Hemet is about 30 ft (9 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.
Anglers target rainbow trout, largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill on Lake Hemet.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Lake Hemet 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.
Queensway Bay 86 mi · San Pedro Bay 87 mi · Inner Harbor 88 mi · Middle Harbor 88 mi · Colorado River (Palo Verde / Cibola) 122 mi, AZ · Colorado River (Yuma Division) 135 mi, AZ · Colorado River (Imperial Division) 136 mi, AZ · Colorado River (Laguna Division) 140 mi, AZ · Redondo Lake 143 mi, AZ · Colorado River (Parker Strip) 148 mi, AZ · Colorado River (below Davis Dam) 151 mi, AZ · Lake Havasu 152 mi, AZ/CA
See how Lake Hemet stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best crappie lakes in California · best bluegill 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. 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.