Spreckels Lake Fishing near Parkside, California

• Overview

  Out in City and County of San Francisco, California, sits Spreckels Lake. The shore lies 1.1 miles out. It covers about 6 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It lies lower than most water we list in California. The town to know is Parkside, 2.1 miles out. Further out sit Noe Valley (3.6 miles) and San Francisco (4.1 miles). The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Spreckels Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for City and County of San Francisco cover common carp, koi, striped bass and rainbow trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Spreckels Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 50°F in January and 63°F in September. No part of the year shuts this water. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. At Spreckels Lake the season follows that pattern closely. The week either side of a change of season often fishes hardest.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Mapping shows parking within half a mile. Gus' Discount Tackle sits half a mile out and is marked for fishing. A picnic area is mapped about half a mile away. There is a toilet block some 170 yards out. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Middle Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Spreckels Lake.