Fishing in
California
16,770 named waters · 97 stocked in the last 30 days
California's fishing splits between two extremes — high Sierra alpine lakes holding golden trout, the official state fish, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where striped bass and largemouth bass fishing draws anglers from across the West. The state's reservoir system, built for water storage, doubles as some of the most consistent bass fishing in the country.
California holds 16,770 fishable waters on the books. CDFW has logged 2,046 stockings in the last year, led by trout. The biggest water in the state is Salton Sea at 233,096 acres.
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When does California stock?
Stocking peaks in May through July, going by every record on the books.
What you'll catch here
- Trout224 waters
Freshest stockings
Full report →- Halsey ForebayTroutJul 26, 2026
- Bucks LakeTroutJul 26, 2026
- Owens RiverTroutJul 26, 2026
- Sacramento RiverTroutJul 26, 2026
- Pinecrest LakeTroutJul 26, 2026
Most-stocked waters, last 12 months
- Kern River64× stocked
- Owens River33× stocked
- Baum Lake23× stocked
- Middle Fork Stanislaus River21× stocked
- Pleasant Valley Reservoir18× stocked
- Avocado Lake17× stocked
- South Fork Stanislaus River15× stocked
- Sacramento River15× stocked
- Lake Almanor14× stocked
- East Fork Trinity River14× stocked
Biggest waters
- Salton Sea233,096 ac
- Lake Tahoe122,975 ac
- Goose Lake94,292 ac
- Honey Lake59,917 ac
- Owens Lake45,140 ac
- Mono Lake45,124 ac
- Middle Alkali Lake42,599 ac
- Bristol Lake41,066 ac
Major rivers
- Sacramento Riverorder 10 · ~38,838 cfs
- Steamboat Sloughorder 10 · ~9 cfs
- Sutter Sloughorder 10 · ~7 cfs
- Elk Sloughorder 10 · ~6 cfs
- Georgiana Sloughorder 10 · ~1 cfs
- Klamath Riverorder 9 · ~21,482 cfs
- Feather Riverorder 9 · ~13,599 cfs
- San Joaquin Riverorder 9 · ~13,316 cfs
Waters by county
All counties →Fresno (963) · Siskiyou (951) · Imperial (920) · Humboldt (803) · Mendocino (702) · Shasta (620) · Trinity (610) · Tulare (562) · Plumas (482) · El Dorado (425) · Tuolumne (409) · Modoc (397) · Lassen (364) · Los Angeles (347) · San Bernardino (341) · Mono (338) · Merced (335) · Sonoma (334) · San Diego (318) · Madera (315) · Inyo (306) · Tehama (290) · Butte (269) · Nevada (258) · Placer (256) · Riverside (253) · Monterey (251) · Kern (245) · Lake (241) · San Luis Obispo (226)
Seasons, limits, and rules are California's call — read the official regulations and buy your license from the state, not a middleman. We link the source; we never restate the rules.
Explore nearby states
California fishing — FAQ
Where does California stock fish?+
CDFW logged 2,046 stockings across California in the last year, led by trout. Browse the map and most-stocked waters above for exact locations.
When does California stock fish?+
Stocking in California peaks in May through July, going by every record on the books. See each water's page for its own seasonality.
Do I need a license to fish in California?+
Yes — California requires a fishing license for most anglers. Buy one from the state agency and check current seasons and limits before you go.
How many fishable waters are in California?+
California has 16,770 named fishable waters mapped on FishableWaters, from stocked reservoirs to wild streams.