Los Banos, CA (January 7, 2026) — San Luis Reservoir is coming up rapidly , with inputs of water from the latest storms bringing the level up to over 1,400,000 acre feet- around 70%. The lake is rising at over a foot a day and it seems they will keep the pumps going for awhile since the rainfall totals are looking good at this stage of the year.
Overall fishing in the big lake has been slow due to the changing water levels, a recent full moon last week and tough fishing conditions for anglers. Trolling and the shore reaction bites have been slow- with many anglers waiting for the weather to calm down before going out again. A predicted low pressure front coming through the area later this week will probably produce some windy cooler conditions till the weekend , before things calm down and stabilize. Low pressure fronts are usually very tough fishing periods and I try to avoid them if possible.
Rising water, moderate temperatures, calmer conditions and getting past a full moon should all help invigorate the bite this coming week. I rate the lake at a 2-3 out of 10 for now, but next weeks bite window looks far more promising.
Never give up!
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San Luis Reservoir striped bass guided trips info- rogergeorgeguideservice.com or (559) 905-2954.
