East Bay Lakes Roundup
Del Valle Smallmouth Bass and Catfish Lead East Bay Fishing Scene
ALAMEDA COUNTY – I’ve been out of town for the past couple of weeks and was a bit worried that when I returned, the summer action would have slowed. I wasn’t surprised to see that the cats are out, especially following the recent plants, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that largemouth bass action is still going strong, and the smallmouth bite at Lake Del Valle is starting to get good.
Lake Del Valle – I want to give a special call-out to Paul Clouse and Dr. Al Hurwitz who continue to provide me with near-weekly reports and help keep me tuned to the local action, especially when I can’t get out myself. Dr. Al and Paul are both pretty fishy. The two tend to follow the bite, moving from one species and body of water as the seasons progress, and if they tell me that the bite is good, you can generally count on seeing some similar action.
This past week they caught and released eight smallies. The fish ranged from one to two pounds and were hitting very aggressively and oftentimes going airborne. All fish were caught on their “go-to” trolling lure, the 1/4 oz. Roxstar spinner with silver blade and brown/yellow feathers. The productive areas were the points in Heron Bay, the western shoreline through the Narrows, and Swallow Bay. The fish were down 15 to 18 feet in the 20-to-30-foot column.
The water surface temperature was up from last week, ranging from 74° to 76°. Water clarity was best from Swallow Bay to the dam. In addition to the rapidly improving smallmouth bite, largemouth bass continue to hit spinners, surface baits and plastics, with several fish taken over three pounds and a double-header of two that broke 5 pounds.
Catfish action has been fair and should remain so as summer plants continue. There are currently no water quality alerts or closures.
Contra Loma continues to produce some nice bass and catfish action has been good. The bass remain spread throughout the lake, but some decent start points include the rocks, the docks and Quail Cove. You should expect warm water by mid-day and should focus on areas that are tight against the weeds or out a bit deeper near submerged structure. Plastics, fished with a weedless rig and bottom-bounced with a slow retrieve, should work. Try natural colors, black or dark green. Surface baits are generally the most productive early or late in the day.
There has been a decent crappie bite on worms suspended under a bobber, mini jigs and very small spinners. Catfish can be taken on a mix of baits including chicken livers, cut bait like sardines or anchovies, catfish dough and worms.
There is a caution advisory posted for algae.
Construction Notice – Intermittent Closures. Construction is starting for the Uplands Facilities Improvements Project and North Dock Repair. Impacted areas include: West Shore Picnic Areas, East Shore Parking Area, and intermittent trail closures on the West Shore Trail near Channel Point and the north fishing dock. The swim lagoon remains closed. Some algae reported. There is a caution advisory for algae.
Lake Temescal bass action is slow but there is still the occasional smaller fish taken. There have been some decent bluegill caught and catfish action should be good. The Park District is installing an Oxygen Saturation Technology (OST) system into the lake in spring of 2025. There may be some limited park disruptions, but the addition of the system should be great for the water quality. The swim beach is open, with a caution advisory.
The South Parking Lot of Temescal will be partially closed off starting July 1, 2025, and access will be restricted due to annual weed abatement/park maintenance.
Lake Chabot bass action remains decent with fish to 3.5 pounds. Plastics remain most productive. Catfish action should take off following the most recent plant. Sunfish action is good!
If you’re searching for bass, try throwing plastics and crankbaits along the West Shore Trail, or along the East Shore Trail out to Raccoon Point, Possum Cove or by boat fishing the shallows near the Warm Water Landing. Catfish action should be good for anglers fishing the shoreline across from the marina. There is a danger advisory posted for algae, and algae may be present on much of the shoreline.
Shadow Cliffs bass action has been fair, and this past week, Edwin took a 7.14-pound brute of a largemouth. This is definitely one of the larger bass taken this season, and pre-spawn, the fish would have probably topped 9 pounds!
Catfish action should be good. Try fishing sardine wraps, anchovies and chicken livers with scent applied from the point closest to the boat launch or the dock on the far side of the lake. The early morning and late evening are generally most productive.
Bluegill action has been good, and they are starting to reach some decent size. Try a mix of lures including small spinners, jigs and worms under a bobber. Fishing from the docks is generally most productive. There is a caution advisory posted for algae.
Quarry Lakes Park including Horseshoe Lake, Lago Los Osos, Grau and Shinn Ponds – Horseshoe bass action is probably fair but no catches were posted this week. Catfish action should get good following the most recent plant.
There is a danger advisory due to algae at Niles Swim Beach, and the beach is currently closed to swimming. Bass action at Rainbow, Shinn and Grau has been slow for mostly dinks. Lago Los Osos bass action has been good for fish between 1 and 2.5 pounds.
If you’re interested in helping guide the future of the East Bay Regional Parks, consider submitting your comments on their web page at: DistrictPlan@EBParks.org. The site will be open through 31 July, and your comments are a great way to help guide the future of the parks.
Please Note: There have been some changes to the personal watercraft inspection process so please call ahead if you are planning to launch on any of the EBRPD lakes. It’s better to be prepared than get turned away.
Please send me your pics! Or reach out to me for additional information at email: ctw1930@gmail.com, or by text at 571-481-8040.
- Chuck Wolf, EBRPD Angler’s Edge
