Diamond Valley Lake

Location: Hwy 74 to Hemet. South on Sanderson Ave. East on Domenigoni Parkway, south on Seal Parkway. Hours: Open year round. Reservations REQUIRED 1-800-590-LAKE Fees: Reservation $5, Entrance Fee $7, Boat launch fee $6, Fishing fee $3 Facilities:Portable toilets. Species: Black and Striped Bass, Trout, Catfish, Sunfish. Stocking: No Information. License: Required. Website: www.dvmarina.com Comments: Rental boat reservations are still recommended for weekend, but shore fishing, private boat launching, and weekday boat rentals are available daily now without reservations.

Current conditions: (Updated 4/08/08) Bass: The Spawn lives on at DVL. Anglers just can’t miss the fish with 2-4 pound largemouth being caught with ease. The east dam and Rawson cove remained the most reported spots by bass fisherman, most fish holding between 5 and 20 feet. Drop-shotting purple or green worms, Carolina rigged brush hogs, watermelon or green pumpkin Senkos, and tube jigs were all reported as effective for bass. Sid H. of Los Angeles got a 10.3 pound bass fishing from with a Triple Trout swimbait. Shawn Cooley of Quail Valley had a 30 fish day all weighing around 4 pounds fishing varied spots with Cool baits. Chad Stern of Lake Elsinore released a 21.5 pound limit also using Cool baits fished between 2-15 feet. The Top Stick Tour exposed the outstanding bass fishing DVL has to offer. Twelve of the twenty boats got limits over 20 pounds. Mike Hart was flying solo for the competition, but he still managed a phenomenal 29.91 pound limit with his two biggest fish at 10.07 and 8.98 pounds earning top stick. Tony Capparelli and Jae Cho got second place with an impressive 27.68 pound bag. Trout: Shore anglers were experiencing a slower trout bite this week, but where they were lacking limits boaters reported great rout fishing. Surface trolling the dams with needlefish or Rapalas or drifting night crawlers has been successful for boaters. Shore anglers did the best with Powerbait mini jigs and trout worms. Striper:There were no striper reports this week Trout swim baits, Plugs or large topwater baits were the most reported lures for striper. Fishing points near the marina or on the inlet remain proven spots for boaters. Catfish: There was a solid catfish bite this week. Great spots for catfish are the third cove of shoreline fishing, and near the east dam or wave attenuator. The most effective baits included anchovies, mackerel, and raw shrimp. Most catfish have been found on the bottom in 10-20 feet down. David O’Gwynn of San Jacinto got a 5.34 pound catfish. He was fishing in the marina but would not reveal his choice bait. Panfish:There were few panfish reports this week, but most anglers have the best luck fishing along the dams, specifically near the stairways. Anglers have found that fishing 20 -30 feet off the dams using live worm dropped to 25 feet has been a consistent method. Paul Para of Anaheim got five green sunfish totaling 8.75 pounds fishing with nightcrawlers in the southwest corner of the lake.




This information is reliable, but not guarranteed. Hours and Fees subject to change without notice.
Satellite photo by USGS