Eleven lakes in Orange County are set to be stocked with rainbow trout again in the coming week, according to stocking schedules published by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and OC Parks.
If you’re hoping to hook one of these hatchery rainbows, this coming Presidents’ Day week will be prime time once the stocking truck delivers those feisty fish.
By February, trout season in lower-elevation lakes is nearing the season’s end. Rising water temperatures soon will make it harder for these cold-water gamefish to thrive. If you want to take advantage of the fresh stocking, the time to get out there is coming fast.
Once these lower-elevation plantings end for the season, the only potential trout stocking remaining in Orange County will be in Trabuco Creek, the closest thing to a mountain trout stream found this close to home.
We can’t tell you the exact stocking day for these lakes, but when you start to see anglers lining the bank of your favorite fishing hole … it’s probably time!
The following lakes also were stocked a few weeks ago. They are scheduled to be replenished with trout again in the coming days, according to the state’s calendar and county schedule.
- Carbon Canyon Reservoir (Yorba Linda)
- Carr Park Lake (Huntington Beach)
- Eisenhower Park Lake (Orange)
- Greer Park Lake (Huntington Beach)
- Huntington Park Lake (Huntington Beach)
- Irvine Lake (Silverado)
- Laguna Niguel Regional Park Lake (Laguna Niguel)
- Mile Square Park Lake (Fountain Valley)
- Ralph Clark Regional Park Lake (Buena Park)
- Tri-City Lake (Placentia)
- Yorba Regional Park Lake (Anaheim)
Still-fishing with bait is always a go-to tactic for catching stocked trout. PowerBait, nightcrawlers, and other natural baits typically get the job done. (Check out our guide to fishing with PowerBait.)
For a more active approach, casting and retrieving lures like spinners and spoons can be highly effective.
Fly fishing requires more finesse, but rainbow trout naturally feed on insects, so an imitation can trigger their instinct to strike.
We cover these techniques and more in our easy guide to trout fishing.
Looking for more fishing spots? Check out our guide to fishing in Orange County.