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Lake Hodges Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

San Diego’s big-bass water: Hodges grew a fourteen-pound reputation on Florida-strain largemouth.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
83 / 83 F
Wind
WSW 8 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Lake Hodges stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. Today brings clear skies, wind WSW around 8 mph, steady pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 83. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Similar at 87 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp83 F
High / Low83 / 59 F
WindWSW 8-9 mph
Pressure1012.4 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:24 / 19:09
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 83/59 F, wind 12 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Hodges: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Lake Hodges calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lake Hodges today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 79 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 82 F, wind to 12 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 85 F, wind to 13 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

California requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

California license plus city permit and fees. Limited operating days and seasons apply: verify the current schedule with the City of San Diego before visiting.

Access

City concession ramp and rental boats on scheduled days; shoreline and trail access around parts of the reservoir.

About this water

A 1,200-acre city water-supply reservoir north of San Diego, San Diego County, California.

Fishing Lake Hodges: the full guide

A city reservoir with pedigree

Lake Hodges covers about 1,200 acres at full pool in the hills north of San Diego, a city water-supply reservoir long famous among trophy bass hunters. Florida-strain largemouth grew to remarkable sizes here in the 1980s and 90s, and while the fishery has fluctuated with water levels and management, its reputation endures. Crappie, bluegill and catfish round out the card.

Big bass tactics

The trophy game is winter and early spring, when the biggest females move shallow: large swimbaits, jigs and live-bait presentations where legal, worked slowly along the weed lines, submerged brush and points. The lake’s Florida-strain genetics and abundant forage are what built the reputation, and double-digit fish still come out.

Panfish and access rules

Crappie stack the brush and the deeper structure, best in spring. Bluegill and catfish provide steady action. Access is the complication: the city operates the reservoir on limited days and seasons with specific rules on boats, motors and hours, and drought has closed it entirely for stretches. Verify the current status before driving out.

San Diego County logistics

The city concession runs a ramp and rental boats when open, typically on a limited weekly schedule during the season. Shore access exists along parts of the reservoir and the surrounding trails. Escondido and Rancho Santa Fe surround it. Always check current operating days, hours and water level before planning.

Common questions

Is it open year-round?

No: the city operates it on limited days and seasons, and drought has closed it entirely at times. Check before going.

Does it still produce big bass?

Double-digit fish still come out, though the fishery fluctuates with water levels and management.

When is the trophy window?

Winter and early spring, when the biggest females move shallow ahead of the spawn.

Is fishing good at Lake Hodges right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Oceanside18 miEl Capitan Reservoir21 miLake Cuyamaca33 miDiamond Valley Lake43 miLake Perris55 miNewport Beach58 mi
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