Catfish Fishing in California

Beautiful Southern California is where lots of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and aqueducts can be found. In fact it is one of the best fishing spots for catfish in North America. This is why sport fishing is one of the most enjoyable hobby and pastime for most Californians. Fishing for catfish suits both beginners and avid anglers.

Popular fishing spots

The Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Kern and Ventura counties have a whole lot of place to go fishing for catfish. Some of the most popular lakes in these counties are Alondra Park Lake, Belvedere Park Lake, Apollo Park lake, Buena Vista lakes, Casitas, Cachuma, Castaic, Downey Wilderness Park lake, Cerritos Park lake, Echo Park lake, Elizabeth lake, El Dorado Park lakes, Hollenbeck Park lake, Hansen Dam Park Lake, Isabella lake, Jackson Lake, Kenneth Hahn Park Lake, La Mirada Lake, Lincoln Park Lake, John Ford Park Lake, Legg Lake, Lopez Lake, Little Rock Rex, Lake Nacimiento, Magic Johnson Park Lake, Lake Piru, Peck Road Park Lake, Pyramid Lake, Puddingstone Res. Santa Fe Dam, Rancho Sims Park Lake and Santa Margarita Res.

In the Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties the popular lakes for fishing catfish are Arrowbear Lake, Glen Helen Lakes, Big Bear, Green Valley Lake, Centennial Park Lake, Carr Park Lake, Corona Lake, Diamond Valley Res., Elsinore, Cucamonga-Guasti Lakes, Fulmor Lake, Gregory Lake, Hemet Lake, Fairmont Park / Lake Evans, Huntington Park Lake, Irvine Lake, Hesperia Lake, Jess Ranch Lakes, Laguna Niguel Lake, Jenks Lake, Mead, Mojave Narrows Regional Park Lake, Mile Square Park Lake, Perris Lake, Ralph Clark Park Lake, Prado Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes, Tri-City Park Lake, Silverwood, Skinner, Yorba Park Lakes and Yucaipa Park Lake

The popular lakes in San Diego and Imperial counties are Chollas Lake, Cuyamaca Lake, Barret Lake, El Capitan, Henshaw, Hodges, Dixon Lake Otay Res. - Lower, Doane Pond, Lake Poway, Salton Sea, Jennings, Miramar Res., Loveland Res., Otay Res. - Upper, San Vicente, Morena, Murray Res., Sutherland Res and Wohlford Res.

When and how to fish

Catfishes are best fished in the evening and nights when the weather cools and they become very active. However you may want to check with the respective lake authorities you plan to go fishing for specific timing and tips and tricks on getting a good catch. A visit to their website should be able to give you most of the information. Some lakes may even recommend hiring of a boat for fishing shorelines that are steep and rocky.

To fish for catfish use a fishing rod of about 6 to 7 feet in length and a spinner or conventional reel according to your preference. It would be helpful to know the average size of the catfish in the lake you are fishing as this will help you decide on the weight of the line you will need to carry. On an average your line should be twice the fish's weight for instance if you are planning to catch a catfish weighing 10 lb, your test line should weigh a minimum of 20 lbs.