See the trout and catfish fishing sections below for the current stocking schedules.
Lake Jennings is just 26 miles east of San Diego and offers a well-managed fishery regularly stocked with trout and catfish and known to put out some big largemouth bass despite its small size.
Bluegill, redear sunfish, and, at times, hybrid striped bass have also been pulled from its clear water.
Besides the year-round fishing, Lake Jennings is a very pretty spot and nice and close to home, making it a great place to bring the family for the day or the entire weekend. Camping, hiking and playgrounds round out some of the other activities here.
Trout Fishing
The cool, clear water of Lake Jennings means trout can survive during much of the year, but the best trout season is during the colder months.
Rainbow trout are stocked between November and early April, and trout fishing here will be best when the lake water is cool, and it has been fairly recently stocked.
Anglers will still continue to pick up some holdover trout in late spring and possibly now and then into early summer. Fishing deep during hotter weather likely will be the key to your success because trout will move into the coldest, most oxygenated water they can find.
Catching higher numbers of trout will become less likely the further past the main trout fishing season you get, but other types of fishing will be going strong by then.
Rainbow trout are not only tasty but are healthy to eat when cooked properly.
How to Catch Trout
To catch trout, use light tackle. PowerBait, small jigs, and lures such as spinners and Super Dupers are among the best baits and lures for catching stocked trout.
Our own free fishing guide will expand your options and catches further. See Trout Fishing: How-To Techniques and Tips.
If the weather is cool, trout may be caught in fairly shallow water or closer to the surface, especially in the mornings when the water temperature is near its lowest for the day.
They typically move deeper as the sun rises higher in the sky. If you catch one, you are more likely to catch another because they often hold in similar areas.
You may have to experiment with the best colors and baits for the day. Asking the ranger on duty will help you get an idea of what to use.
Would you like to know where to find the Best Rainbow Trout Fishing Lakes in California?
2023-24 Trout Stocking
The 2024-25 Trout Stocking Schedule will be posted later this year.
| Stocking Week | Pounds Stocked |
|---|---|
| November 13-17 | 2,500 lbs. |
| Nov 27 – Dec 1 | 1,500 lbs. |
| December 11-15 | 1,500 lbs. |
| December 25-29 | 1,500 lbs. |
| January 8-12 | 1,500 lbs. |
| January 22-26 | 1,500 lbs. |
| February 5-9 | 1,500 lbs. |
| February 19-23 | 1,500 lbs. |
| March 4-8 | 1,500 lbs. |
| March 18-22 | 1,500 lbs. |
| April 1-5 | 1,500 lbs. |
| April 15-19 | 1,500 lbs. |
| Total | 19,000 lbs. |
Bass Fishing
As with many Southern California lakes, Lake Jennings is known for producing some huge largemouth bass, including a 16.58-pound lake record.
The chance of catching one of these double-digit lake monsters is what brings many anglers to Lake Jennings.
This lake is only 85 acres, but a boat is still handy to fully access all of the bass fishing opportunities. However, hiking trails offer access to bank fishing throughout the campground, so you still have a good chance to catch fish from the shoreline.
Using the electronics on a boat to find rock piles, brush piles, or steep drop-offs will be the quickest way to locate bass in the summer months when they tend to be in a bit deeper water.
If you’re looking for bass in the shallows, your odds will be better in the spring when they move in to spawn. In the summer, they may make feeding runs into shallow water early and late in the day but otherwise are likely to hold in deeper areas.
They often are back shallow to feed in the cooling waters of fall before winter sets in. Winter usually finds them back in deeper water.
Lure Suggestions
Because Lake Jennings is a clear lake, sticking with natural-looking lures and baits will be best for fooling bass.
A drop shot, Ned rig, and Texas rig with naturally colored soft plastics are bound to get you a bass bite or two. Spinnerbaits, jigs, swimbaits, and buzzbaits are other lures to test out when the bass are more aggressive.
Bigger bass often feed on bluegill and other fish, so matching your lures to those fish patterns will increase your chances of hooking into a monster.
Looking for the very best bass waters around (including some San Diego County hot spots)? Read about the Best Largemouth Bass Fishing Lakes in Southern California.
Then, it’s time to boost your odds with the ideas you’ll find in Bass Fishing: Simple How-To Techniques and Tips.
Catfish Fishing
See the 2024 catfish stocking schedule below.
The peak catfish season at Lake Jennings often starts around May with the first planting of channel catfish each year. Channel catfish are stocked throughout the summer and often into the early fall for anglers to catch. The catfishing can be very good here throughout this time, with a few caught in winter as well.
Given the right conditions, big catfish can regularly grow to more than 25 pounds. Channel cats are fun to catch and are a tasty meal to eat!
The true monsters of the lake are blue catfish. They can grow to incredible sizes of more than 70 pounds, with the Lake Jennings record over 84 pounds. Blue catfish fight hard and are extremely fun to catch from the bank or boat.
Thanks to the presence of the big blues and frequently stocked channels, Lake Jennings scored an honorable mention on our list of the Best Catfish Fishing Lakes and Rivers in California. Click the link to find other great spots for whisker fish.
Where and When to Catch Catfish
Fishing for catfish can be good from both shore or a boat.
Catfish feed most heartily during the night and early morning hours, but day-use access to the lake is often closed during that time frame except for special times during the night fishing season. These summer angling nights start in the late afternoon and wrap up by midnight on designated dates.
On other days at Lake Jennings, you’d do best to fish in as low light conditions as allowed, including from the Lake Jennings campground shoreline when permitted.
A boat can help you catch more catfish, especially during the day when catfish often move into deeper water to wait out the more intense light. If you have electronics, use them to help find a channel or steep bank.
Catfish often use channels as fish highways to move from one area of the lake to another. Dropping a line along a channel is often the best way to get a bite.
Check the website mentioned below for details about possible night fishing opportunities.
How to Catch Catfish
Typical bass gear will be fine for the most common and best-eating-sized catfish, usually under 5 pounds. However, you will need heavy-duty fishing gear to boost your odds of catching the biggest catfish.
Shrimp and allowable cut bait or live fish are outstanding bait for catfish. Check the rules ahead of time because using fish for bait typically comes with restrictions.
If you’re in a pinch, catfish have been caught on nightcrawlers and hotdogs many times. Of course, the crawlers will also attract the attention of almost every other fish in the lake.
Find more bait ideas, tackle set-ups, and other fish-catching info at Catfish Fishing: Simple How-To Techniques and Tips.
2024 Catfish Stocking
| Stocking Week | Pounds Stocked |
| May 20 | 1,500 |
| June 17 | 1,000 |
| July 8 | 1,000 |
| July 29 | 1,000 |
| August 19 | 1,000 |
| September 9 | 1,000 |
| September 23 | 1,000 |
| October 14 | 1,000 |
More Fishing Opportunities
Lake Jennings offers even more fishing opportunities besides bass, catfish, and trout. That’s part of the reason why this lake is so unique.
Hybrid Striped Bass
Hybrids were stocked in the lake for several years, but they may not currently be available. Watch for updated reports.
Where present, hybrid striped bass (often known as wipers) can grow very large and provide a good fight!
Lake Elsinore, about an hour and a half to the north, is probably a better bet for wiper fishing at this writing.
Bluegill and Sunfish
Bringing your family out to fish means you will need to catch fish. A fish that most kids love to catch are bluegill. They are abundant and easy to catch with a hook, sinker, bobber, and pieces of nightcrawler, redworm, or mealworm.
Bluegill congregate around shallow grass or another underwater cover in the summer, making them easy to locate and catch.
The lake also has a population of red-ear sunfish, which are similar in their habits and fall for similar techniques.
More: Fishing for Bluegill and Sunfish: Simple How-To Techniques and Tips.
Planning Your Trip
Lake Jennings is located on the eastern side of the metropolitan San Diego area, in one of the prettiest parks in the region. It is located on Lake Jennings Road just north of Interstate 8, only about a half hour or so from downtown San Diego.
It’s close to several other popular San Diego County fishing holes, most notably El Capitan Reservoir and San Vicente Reservoir.
Lake Jennings offers camping, hiking, and fishing, making it a superb weekend destination for the family.
The campground is well-appointed with sites that range from basic tent spots to full-service RV and tipi sites.
You can also visit the lake for a picnic if you only want to make a day trip out of your visit, but note the somewhat limited day-use hours.
The lake is suitable for special events, such as weddings, and can accommodate up to 600 people.
Bank & Boat Access
A boat ramp is open to the public for a small daily fee. You can rent a boat or kayak to explore the lake.
There is a bait shop and other amenities, or shopping areas are a short drive away.
The Helix Water District operates the lake to provide drinking water to communities east of San Diego. The district does not allow water-contact sports including paddle boards and float tubes. Swimming is prohibited.
There is a “no wake” speed limit (10 mph) enforced on the entire lake.
More Information
Boating rules, various fees, hours of operation, special events, and other important information are on the Lake Jennings website.