Fish Report

Bass Bite has Been The Highlight of Fishing

Brian W. of Los Gatos caught this nine-pound striped bass while fishing with anchovies in the Narrows.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Del Valle Lake Staff

by East Bay Regional Park District
4-18-2019
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The lake temperature has been in the lower 60s for most of the day, finally bringing the smallmouth and largemouth bass out to play here at Lake Del Valle!

As the season grows warmer, the sunfish fishing has picked up. Several large crappies and bluegill have been reported to the marina staff. Sunfish are a great target fish for kids and can be easily caught using red worms or mini nightcrawlers. We suggest fishing for them near large weed patches all around the shore of the lake.

TROUT

The trout bite is still going strong with many anglers hooking into trout using corn yellow Powerbait or chartreuse mice tails. Throwing a small Kastmaster out and slow rolling it can also land some trout. Many of the trout are hanging along the sandy beaches that dot the Narrows or are running in the back of the coves. If you are fishing from shore, the east beach is the preferred destination many anglers.

CATFISH

The catfish bite out here is slow but steady with many anglers fishing the fallen trees that dot the shorelines. The catfish are also moving in the reed patches. A good rule of thumb is if you see carp moving, the catfish are probably around.

BASS

The bass bite has been the highlight of fishing at Del Valle for several weeks! If you are fishing from shore, the south end of the lake provides the perfect habitat for the bass to spawn. We recommend using nightcrawlers or long thin plastic worms. The Texas rig is usually the way to go as the bass are hanging out in the cattail patches that cover the lake. If you have a boat, we recommend going out and hitting the rock points along the lower and upper Narrows. The bass have also been known to hit Kastmasters or spinnerbaits as the shad imitations work well for most fish out here.

STRIPED BASS

The striped bass have been slow lately, but they are still moving out here as the shad start to spawn. When the water heats up keep an eye out for the striper action to pick up. We recommend throwing anchovies around the Narrows or trolling with a large trout imitation swimbait.