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Los Vaqueros Reservoir Fishing Report

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

A no-body-contact reservoir in the Diablo hills: Los Vaqueros stocks trout and holds striped bass.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~73 F est.
Air / High
71 / 75 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.

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

Los Vaqueros Reservoir offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings clear skies, wind WSW around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 75. Water sits around 73 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: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Rainbow troutGood

Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Largemouth bassFair

Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

CrappieSlow

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Similar at 77 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.

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp71 F
High / Low75 / 58 F
WindWSW 8-9 mph
Pressure1013.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 7%
Sunrise / Sunset06:39 / 19:31
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 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 · Overcast, 75/58 F, wind 11 mph, rain 7%

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 Los Vaqueros Reservoir: 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. Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Los Vaqueros Reservoir 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
Smallmouth bass
Rainbow trout
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 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 Los Vaqueros Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 18 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 76 F, wind to 13 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 72 F, wind to 19 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 entry and boat fees. Strict access rules including no body contact and limited private boating: verify current CCWD rules.

Access

Los Vaqueros and Oak Point marinas: rental boats, bait and shoreline access with fees.

About this water

A 1,500-acre water-supply reservoir south of Brentwood, Contra Costa County, California, completed in 1998.

Fishing Los Vaqueros Reservoir: the full guide

A newer water supply lake

Los Vaqueros Reservoir covers about 1,500 acres in the hills south of Brentwood, completed in 1998 as a Contra Costa Water District supply reservoir and opened for fishing with strict rules: no body contact, no private boats beyond a limited program, and controlled access through two marinas. Rainbow trout are stocked heavily, joined by striped bass, largemouth bass, catfish and crappie.

Trout and stripers

The stocked trout fishery drives most visits, fished from shore and from rental boats with bait, spinners and flies. Striped bass arrived with Delta water and grow well, providing a genuine surprise fishery: swimbaits, live bait and trolling produce, with the fish reaching good size in the reservoir’s productive water.

Bass and access rules

Largemouth relate to the rocky shorelines and submerged structure. Catfish and crappie fill out the card. The access rules are strict and enforced: entry fees, limited hours, marina check-in and no private motorboats in most circumstances. Verify current rules before planning: this is not a launch-and-go reservoir.

Contra Costa County logistics

Two marinas provide rental boats, bait and shoreline access, with trails around the reservoir for hikers and anglers walking to water. Livermore and Brentwood are the nearby towns. The Diablo range setting is genuinely attractive, and the restricted access keeps the fishery in good shape.

Common questions

Can I bring my own boat?

Generally no: private motorboats are restricted. Rentals are the standard option. Verify current rules.

Are there really stripers?

Yes: they arrived with Delta water and grow well, providing an unexpected fishery alongside stocked trout.

Is swimming allowed?

No: it is a drinking water reservoir with no body contact permitted.

Is fishing good at Los Vaqueros Reservoir 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

Lake Del Valle16 miCalifornia Delta17 miSan Pablo Reservoir28 miPacifica43 miLake Camanche50 miPutah Creek51 mi
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