Los Banos, CA (October 8, 2025) — Striper fishing in the big lake has been slow, and the current bright full moon isn’t helping as the fish feed all night and then suspend most of the following day. However we are seeing more boils in the coves now with the cooling water temps (72’s) bringing the fish up to feed on shallow baitballs- which is typical for this time of year. The topwater bite should continue to improve as we get deeper into the fall and cooler water temps. There is heavy algae in some parts of the lake
The current water level is at the 1,100,000 acre foot level- around 50 % capacity as the input into the lake has fallen down to about 1,500 acre feet- raising the lake just a few inches a day. This should also bolster the fishing due to a more stable lake level -which in turn should help pattern up the bait and stripers and improve the overall bite.
I scouted the lake this week with a buddy and between trolling and jigging the main lake we managed to release over 15 fish to 27” , up to 8 lbs using a “ hit and run” tactic to find active fish. With all the bait in the lake- Shad colored lures (like Lucky Crafts and Rapalas) worked faster to mimic fleeing baitfish worked best in the depth ranges between 40’ and 70’ . I rate the troll/ reaction bite at only a 3 out of 10 due to the full moon influence this week.
The forecast is showing a cooling trend for the next few days with possible rain – which could improve the bite if you can hit those windows between fronts. Fall fishing is upon us.
Check out my San Luis Reservoir video reports on the new YouTube “ Catch America” fishing channel – for more info.
San Luis Reservoir striped bass guided trips info- rogergeorgeguideservice.com or (559) 905-2954.
