Fishing at Silver Lake, San Luis Obispo County, California

• Overview

  Silver Lake is one of the San Luis Obispo County listings for California. It sits 20 miles in from the sea. Surface area runs to about 2 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in San Luis Obispo County. The nearest place of any size is Santa Margarita, 8 miles away. Atascadero is 8.3 miles and Templeton 11 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Silver Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Public occurrence data for San Luis Obispo County names flathead grey mullet, rainbow trout, Sacramento sucker, cabezon and black croaker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Silver Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about 46°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter is the comfortable season here rather than the difficult one. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Silver Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Public mapping marks it as seasonal water rather than permanent. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Clear Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Silver Lake carry more weight than any list.