San Gabriel Reservoir Fishing in Los Angeles County, California

• Overview

  San Gabriel Reservoir sits in Los Angeles County, out in California. Everything around it is scrub and brush. Roughly 525 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Size puts it in the front rank of our Los Angeles County list. Some 6.2 miles away sits Glendora, the nearest settlement. For a city, West Covina is 12 miles off. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on San Gabriel Reservoir

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Biodiversity records within roughly six miles include rainbow trout, santa ana sucker, goldfish and channel catfish. It reflects what has been logged, which depends on who was looking. On San Gabriel Reservoir that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 74°F at the top of summer and 51°F at the bottom of winter. There is no cold season worth the name. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Time your trip to San Gabriel Reservoir by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It is recorded as intermittent, which means the basin empties in dry spells. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Morris Reservoir sits 3 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at San Gabriel Reservoir as something to verify.