Fishing at Elderberry Forebay, Los Angeles County, California

• Overview

  Elderberry Forebay falls in Los Angeles County, part of California. Tidal water begins 37 miles from here. Surface area runs to roughly 388 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The perimeter runs near 5.0 miles, so plan the walk before you start. It ranks high for size among our Los Angeles County listings. Supplies mean a trip to Castaic, 5.8 miles off. Val Verde follows at 8.8 miles, then Valencia at 9 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Elderberry Forebay

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Species logged across Los Angeles County include flathead grey mullet, common carp and rainbow trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Work Elderberry Forebay in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 51°F in January to roughly 77°F in August. The season is continuous, with heat as the only real check. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. That is the shape of the year on Elderberry Forebay.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Drinkwater Reservoir, 7.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Elderberry Forebay is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.