Pismo Lake Fishing Guide, San Luis Obispo County, California

• Overview

  Pismo Lake is listed under San Luis Obispo County, California. Tidal water begins 1 mile from here. At 19 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our California listings. Start from Grover Beach, 0.9 miles down the road. Beyond it, Pismo Beach at 1 mile and Arroyo Grande at 2.4 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Pismo Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Work the tide here — moving water feeds, slack water rests. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in San Luis Obispo County include jack mackerel, flathead grey mullet, yellowtail amberjack, rainbow trout and Sacramento sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Pismo Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 53°F to 64°F. The year never really closes; it just gets uncomfortable in summer. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Anyone fishing Pismo Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. There are picnic tables half a mile away. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Pipeline Lake, 4.1 miles away. Treat Pismo Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.