Santa Rosa Creek Reservoir in Sonoma County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Santa Rosa Creek Reservoir in Sonoma County, California. The shore lies 22 miles out. With some 60 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. There is roughly 1.6 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Ground here is low by California standards. The nearest place of any size is Santa Rosa, 3.5 miles away. After that come Roseland at 4.7 miles and Kenwood at 6.5 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Santa Rosa Creek Reservoir

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Open biodiversity records for Sonoma County list flathead grey mullet, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, bluegill and cabezon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Santa Rosa Creek Reservoir to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 69°F in July and bottoms out near 47°F in December. The season runs year-round, with the peak either side of summer. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. The season on Santa Rosa Creek Reservoir follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. A jetty or pier is mapped about 160 yards from here. Mapping shows a picnic spot within half a mile. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Lake Ralphine is 0.7 miles distant. For Santa Rosa Creek Reservoir in particular, ask before you travel.