Lake Los Carneros

Lake Los Carneros
May 23, 2025

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I caught my first little bass at Lake Los Carneros on September 25, 1983 on a small white Roostertail spinner. I went back on September 28th and caught a few more. On September 29th I went to the lake early armed with a 1/4 oz. Black Jitterbug. One of my all-time favorite topwater lures although today I use the 5/8 oz. version. Several casts from the East side the of dam and all of the sudden the surface of the water explodes as a 14 inch bass inhales my Jitterbug. My first bass over 12 inches at the lake and it's a topwater fish!

Apr 13, 2025

Because Lake Los Carneros is eutrophic the quality of the bass fishing and the health of the lake in general depends on rainfall. In a nutshell during periods where the rainfall is less than average for two or more years in a row the health of the lake will suffer. Conversely, during periods where the rainfall is greater than average for at least two years in a row the lake will be relatively healthy.

Jun 23, 1997

While there is not a lot of shore access one of the great things about Lake Los Carneros is convenience. A lot of memorable fish have been caught on short quick hikes to the lake "to make a few casts". Before work, after school, or even on the way home from BMX camp... Live, Work, Play!

Jul 1, 2011

While fishing from shore is fun I quickly learned that the only way to truly bass fish at Lake Los Carneros is from the water. So in the Summer of 1985 I saved my money and bought my first float tube.

PLEASE PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE

Dec 15, 2013

LEAVE NO TRACE

If you fish at the lake please fish responsibly and leave no trace. Be courteous to other visitors, do not disturb the birds or other wildlife, and leave the property in the same or better condition than you found it. Thank you.

Tap on image below to report trash and lost fishing gear that is not accessible from shore.

PLEASE HELP KEEP LAKE LOS CARNEROS CLEAN AND BEAUTIFUL

Aug 14, 2025

If you fish the lake from a human powered float and would like to help keep it clean send an e-mail to cleanup@lakeloscarneros.com and request to be added to the offshore litter notification e-mail list. Thank you!

There is a new community group for Lake Los Carneros Park. The current working name is "Friends of Lake Los Carneros".

I would like to see the Friends of Lake Los Carneros become a group that supports and promotes the preservation and stewardship of Lake Los Carneros Park.

Tap here for more information

Fishing Tips, Tackle and Information

Equipment:

Spinning Rod: 6 to 7 ft medium action - line rating anywhere from 6 to 15 lb. test - fast action

Spinning Reel: Ideally holds at least 100 yards of 8 lb. monofilament fishing line

Main Line: 20 lb. braid - my preference is P-Line or PowerPro - Color: dark green (yellow if specifically for plastic worm fishing

Leader: 12-15 lb. Fluorocarbon (or monofilament) ~6 ft. long

Casting Rod: 7 ft. line rating around 10 to 25 lb. test - moderate fast to fast action (depending on lure and presentation)

Main Line: 30 to 50 lb. braid - my preference is P-Line or PowerPro - Color: dark green

Leader: 20 to 25 lb. Fluorocarbon (or monofilament) ~6 ft. long

Knots:

Uni-to-Uni: Connecting the main line to the leader

Trilene Knot: Connecting the leader to the lure

Palomar Knot: Connecting the main line to the lure when a leader is not being used and usually when tying a drop-shot rig.

Lures:

Swimbaits:

One of the two most productive ways to fish Lake Los Carneros year round. Especially in the Fall when the fish start to move to deeper water. The 2 inch Big Hammer swimbait on a 1/8 oz Hammer Head can be very productive all Winter long. Basically just hopping the bait along the bottom with single turns of the reel handle. And a lot of fun on light tackle.

All sizes of swimbaits have a time and a place at Lake Los Carneros. While I typically stick to the 2, 3 and 3.5 inch some larger fish including a ~6 lb. largemouth in 2012 was caught on a Big Hammer 5.5 inch swimbait.

A few of my favorite colors are:

1) Orange/red combinations such as #14 "Rock Critter" (shown above) and #52 "Red Calico Hunter"

2) baitfish/pearl combinations such as #21 "Threadfin Shad", #12 "Super Awesome Shad" (shown above) and #75 "Silverside"

3) Bright colors such as #159 "Wildfire" and #22 "Cosmik Debris"

Swimbaits also make great trailers for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jigs, etc.

Oct 11, 2025

Plastic Worms:

Rigged with the Owner Twistlock hook the 4 or 5 inch Salt Shaker can be used nearly everywhere nearly every time of year. And is good for casting from shore because it is very weedless. Add a bullet sinker and fish along the bottom or a "drop line" from the hook to a drop-shot sinker and fish it at any depth. Be careful when any weighted or diving lure when fishing from shore after the lake fills after a long drought. There will be a lot of dying/dead bulrush (tule) reeds on the bottom which are very "snaggy".

Worms: 4 or 5 inch Salt Shaker Worm - Black Grape & Tangie & Big Hammer Ringer Worm
Hook (weedless): Owner Twistlock Light Hook - size 1/0 or 2/0
Hook (nose/wacky): Gamakatsu Aaron Martens G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook - size 2 or 1

Rigs: Drop-shot (weedless, wacky or nose hooked), Weightless (weedless, wacky or nose hooked), Texas-rig

May 8, 2004

Topwater Lures - Walking Baits:

My favorite topwater hard bait. Heddon's Super Spook Jr. Color: Okie Shad. I replace the stock treble hooks with Owner Stinger 2X Black ST-41 (size 4) Treble Hooks and add a split ring to line tie.

Mar 22, 2014

If you do replace the hooks be careful if your line gets tangled around the front hook. This can happen on the cast but happens quite often when a fish hits the bait and misses it. If it happens reel the lure in slowly and steadily. Don't let it bounce all around as the super sharp slightly curved in hooks will nick your line.

Jun 13, 2025

Topwater Lures - Frogs:

When there's a good rain, the lake is healthy and there's mats of duckweed all over the lake there is nothing more fun than having a bass blow up through that duckweed and inhale your frog.

My current favorite frog is the Booyah Pad Crasher in the Bullfrog color. Standard size but the Jr. is fun to play with also.

Jul 2, 2011

Topwater Lures - Buzzbaits:

I make my own buzzbaits. Tap image below to visit website.

Topwater Lures - Poppers:

A regular ol' Rebel Pop-R will do but for some reason I really like the way the Lobina Ricos poppers pop - the smaller Rico if fishing on my light spinning rod for fun. The larger Rio Rico if I'm being a bit more serious.

Jul 23, 2013

The Rebel Poppin' Frog is a fun little popper for a light spinning rod.

Other Topwater Lures:

Prop baits such as the Whopper Plopper, Heddon Torpedo, and wake baits such as the Lucky Craft 1.5 WK.

Jerkbaits:

Lucky Craft Pointer Minnow Jerkbaits - size 78 or 65 - lots of colors to choose from - a few current favorites are Live Threadfin Shad, Pearl Threadfin, Ghost Minnow.

Jan 11, 2014

Crankbaits:

Rebel Wee-Crawfish. The regular one, the Teeny Wee, the Deep Wee (caught my 24 inch bass in 1984) and the new Middle Wee.

There are lots of crankbaits to choose from and they will all mostly work. After periods of drought when there are lots of dying tules in the "deeper" shallow areas shallower diving models work best. But out in open water and when the lake has been relatively full for a while deeper diving models can be affective.

Square bills work great at the lake. Lucky Craft LC 1.5 DRS Squarebill Crankbaits in the TO Shad and TO Craw colors are a couple of my favorites along with the Norman Speed N Jr. Crankbait in the Chili Bowl color. The red crawfish colors work great in the Spring.

My favorite lipless crankbait is/was the Aruku Shad but they have changed the design and I haven't fished the new ones.

Jun 29, 2013

Spinnerbaits:

Zorro Baits Short Arm Aggravator and Zorro Baits Long Arm Aggravator Spinnerbait Double Silver Willow

3/8 or 5/8 oz (depending on depth, dying tules, etc.) - colors: white with Big Hammer 3.5 inch swimbait colors: Super Awesome Shad, Pearly Gates or Bay Smelt or black with BH 3.5 inch color: After Midnite

Feb 8, 2014

Jigs:

Fished along the ledge when the fish are moving up to spawn can be great. Also a great way to fish the structure (tree stumps) and of course flipping into the tules.

Apr 7, 2012

Accessories:

Braid Scissors: Baker Braided Line Scissors and/or Gamakatsu Folding Braid Scissors

Pliers: Berkley Hemostat Pliers 6"

Tackle Trays: Plano WaterProof StowAway

Hook Bonnets: Owner Treble Hook Safety Caps

Feb 26, 2014

Float Tubing:

Float Tube: Classic Accessories Marshland (discontinued) and Cumberland

Waders: Caddis Green Neoprene Stocking Foot Waders

Fins: Classic Accessories Turbo Thruster Fins

Fin Savers/Teathers

Life Vest

Crocs/Sandals: 1 or 2 sizes larger than your foot size. Crocs/Sandals help avoid damage and leaks when walking or standing in the waders

Dec 15, 2013

Tap on the image below for a structure map of the lake.

Jun 16, 2007

Largemouth Bass Research Project

Casting & Flipping
Learn to walk before you run

At the Santa Barbara Sport Fishing Club Holiday party in 2002 I was introduced to Neal Taylor. He was the speaker for the evening and while what he said was captivating, what he did was life changing. His casting abilities made me realize that target casting is what fishing had always really been about. It's the reason I can float around the lake making hundreds of casts with only the hope of catching something and still have fun. It's the reason I can float down a river making hundreds of casts with only the hope of catching something and still have fun. It's the reason I can stand in the backyard and flip a frog lure into a bucket and still have fun.

Tap on the image below to visit the my "Flippin' Frogs at the Ranch" (an introduction to bass fishing) page.