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Lake Perris Fishing Report

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

Southern California’s bass lake: Perris holds Alabama spotted bass and big bluegill in Riverside County.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
84 / 88 F
Wind
SW 6 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.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Lake Perris serves up more heat: the productive hours are the dim ones. Today brings clear skies, wind SW around 6 mph, rising pressure near 1011 hPa and a high of 88. 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 91 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 temp84 F
High / Low88 / 58 F
WindSW 6-7 mph
Pressure1010.5 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:24 / 19:10
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 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Clear, 88/58 F, wind 11 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Perris: 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 Perris 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 Perris 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 87 F, wind to 8 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 89 F, wind to 14 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 90 F, wind to 13 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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 state recreation area fees. Bass and trout limits per current CDFW regulations; mussel inspection required.

Access

Lake Perris State Recreation Area ramps, beaches and shoreline access.

About this water

A 2,300-acre State Water Project reservoir in Riverside County, California.

Fishing Lake Perris: the full guide

A state recreation area lake

Lake Perris covers about 2,300 acres in Riverside County, a State Water Project reservoir surrounded by a state recreation area with beaches, campgrounds and a rocky shoreline. It has a long bass-fishing reputation, particularly for Alabama spotted bass, and also produces large bluegill, largemouth bass, channel catfish and stocked trout in the cool months.

Bass on the rock

The rocky shoreline, submerged structure and the island define the fishing: work drop-shots, jigs and small swimbaits along the rock, with spotted bass often outnumbering largemouth. Clear water and heavy pressure make finesse presentations and low-light periods important. Spring is the strongest season, with a good fall bite as water cools.

Bluegill and trout

Perris grows notably large bluegill, a genuine draw for panfish anglers using small jigs and live bait around the rock and structure. Channel catfish are stocked and abundant. In the cool months the state stocks rainbow trout, giving shore anglers a winter and spring fishery from the beaches and jetties.

Riverside County logistics

The state recreation area provides ramps, beaches, camping and extensive shoreline access, with mussel inspection required before launching. Summer brings heavy recreational use given the Southern California setting: fish early, fish weekdays, or fish the cool months. Riverside and Moreno Valley surround the lake with services.

Common questions

What is the main bass species?

Alabama spotted bass often outnumber largemouth on the rocky structure, fished with finesse presentations.

Are the bluegill really big?

Yes: Perris has a reputation for notably large bluegill, a genuine draw for panfish anglers.

Is there trout fishing?

In the cool months: the state stocks rainbows, giving shore anglers a winter and spring option.

Is fishing good at Lake Perris right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Diamond Valley Lake14 miBig Bear Lake31 miSilverwood Lake31 miNewport Beach44 miOceanside48 miLake Hodges55 mi
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