Don Castro Reservoir in Alameda County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Don Castro Reservoir is listed under Alameda County, California. What surrounds it is dry hill. It covers about 7 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Alameda County list. You are 0.9 miles from Fairview. Hayward is the closest city, 2.5 miles away. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Don Castro Reservoir

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Fish documented in Alameda County include Chinook salmon, common carp, striped bass and rainbow trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Don Castro Reservoir that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 49°F in January up to 68°F in August. The awkward stretch is midsummer, not midwinter. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. That is the shape of the year on Don Castro Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Parking is mapped about half a mile from the bank. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. A picnic area is mapped about 120 yards away. Toilets show in mapping about 140 yards away. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lake Chabot sits 3.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm access to Don Castro Reservoir locally before you travel.