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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
12,700-acre reservoir near Los Banos. The wind-blown striper bowl off Pacheco Pass. Pumped Delta water stacked with stripers chasing bait on the dam face. The lake tops out around 274 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 12,837 acres of water rimmed by 58 miles of bank — one island included. The 3.7 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 23% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 7.5 mi with a 5.4-mi widest point. You'll find it in Merced County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Northern Monterey Bay, 44 mi west of here.
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 San Luis Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | San Luis Creek inflow (8 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (35 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (19 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | open water | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
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 6 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 (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (19 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
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: San Luis Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 8 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | San Luis Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | San Luis Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | open water |
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 6 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 (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (19 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Weed flat (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Offshore hump (19 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 15 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 233 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 San Luis Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
San Luis Reservoir is about 274 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.
Anglers target striped bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill on San Luis Reservoir.
San Luis Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For striped 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 San Luis 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.
Northern Monterey Bay 44 mi · Central Monterey Bay 46 mi · Southern Monterey Bay 50 mi · Lake Del Valle 50 mi · Bethany Reservoir 58 mi · Clifton Court Forebay 60 mi · Don Pedro Reservoir 67 mi · Franks Tract 74 mi · Big Break 74 mi · Half Moon Bay 79 mi · Millerton Lake 81 mi · Suisun Bay 85 mi
See how San Luis Reservoir 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. 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.