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Silverwood Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The highest reservoir in the State Water Project, in the San Bernardino National Forest, with DWR rainbow trout plants from late December to early May.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~74 F est.
Air / High
57 / 59 F
Wind
S 9 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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 the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Silverwood Lake offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings clear skies, wind S around 9 mph, steady pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 59. Water sits around 74 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:29 AM-11:29 AM and 9:56 PM-11:56 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Striped bassExcellent

Use electronics to find shad schools in open water, and watch for birds working over bait.

Rainbow troutExcellent

The top of this band is already stressful. In rivers fish mornings and evenings; in lakes WDFW notes rainbows turn sluggish and go deeper, so troll or suspend bait near the bottom.

Largemouth bassGood

The main feeding season after the spawn: work moving baits along weed edges, points and wood, and follow up with a soft plastic where a fish swirls.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Spawning season from late May into summer: Iowa DNR suggests drifting bait under a float along riprap and snags where males guard nests in cavities.

CrappieFair

Early in this band crappie are spawning in protected coves; afterward they move to docks, brush piles and standing timber near deeper water.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 65 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

California requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $64.54 for residents. What a California licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing largemouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with CDFW before you keep anything. The season dates for California, read off the agency, are on the California seasons page.

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.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~74 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp57 F
High / Low59 / 47 F
WindS 9-10 mph
Pressure1014.6 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain1% cloud, 21%
Sunrise / Sunset07:01 / 18:05
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~74 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Silverwood Lake this week

The best day on Silverwood Lake this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 5 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 β€” excellent at 5/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
9:29 AM-11:29 AM and 9:56 PM-11:56 PM
Minor period
3:52 AM-4:52 AM
Sun
07:01 to 18:05
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 21 mph
Rain chance
21%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. The main feeding season after the spawn: work moving baits along weed edges, points and wood, and follow up with a soft plastic where a fish swirls.

Striped bass illustration

Striped bass

Best: spring and fall inland; on the coast, during the seasonal migrations

The largest of the temperate basses, a sea-run fish of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts that now also lives in reservoirs across much of the country after hatchery stocking. Inland, it follows schools of shad and herring through open water. Use electronics to find shad schools in open water, and watch for birds working over bait.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. Spawning season from late May into summer: Iowa DNR suggests drifting bait under a float along riprap and snags where males guard nests in cavities.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Early in this band crappie are spawning in protected coves; afterward they move to docks, brush piles and standing timber near deeper water.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. The top of this band is already stressful. In rivers fish mornings and evenings; in lakes WDFW notes rainbows turn sluggish and go deeper, so troll or suspend bait near the bottom.

When to come: the Silverwood Lake 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
Striped bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Crappie
Rainbow trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 74 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~74 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 Silverwood Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 24 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 57 F, wind to 24 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 20 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Largemouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 74 F, wind to 12 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 fishing license for anglers 16 and older (State Parks). State Parks' fishing page lists daily limits by species; confirm them in the current CDFW freshwater sport fishing regulations before keeping fish.

Access

Silverwood Lake SRA, 13990 Sawpit Canyon Rd, Hesperia: boat ramps and a marina with rentals and fuel (Explorus concession); exit inspection for all boats.

About this water

A State Water Project reservoir behind Cedar Springs Dam in the San Bernardino National Forest, San Bernardino County, California.

Fishing Silverwood Lake: the full guide

The State Water Project's highest lake

Silverwood Lake, formed by Cedar Springs Dam, is the highest reservoir in the State Water Project and lies in the San Bernardino National Forest. The recreation area is off Highway 138 and Cleghorn Road, 11 miles east of I-15, or 20 miles north of San Bernardino by Highways 18 and 138. The Department of Water Resources manages the water.

Fish and stocking

California State Parks lists largemouth bass, striped bass, crappie, trout, catfish, bluegill and carp. DWR stocks rainbow trout between late December and early May, at irregular times and sizes, and State Parks posts stocking updates on its social media.

Where you cannot fish

Fishing is banned in designated swim areas, from a boat inside the marina, and from any launch ramp, courtesy dock or boat tied to a courtesy dock. Pets are not allowed in the water.

Golden mussels and inspections

Invasive golden mussels were detected at Silverwood in September 2025. The park now inspects every boat on the way out, so pull all plugs and drain live wells first; it no longer runs entrance inspections. All boat operators in California need a California Boater Card.

Fish advisory and algae

OEHHA's advisory tells women 18 to 49 and children to avoid black bass, channel catfish, striped bass and sunfish from Silverwood, while allowing up to seven servings a week of rainbow trout. DWR tests weekly for harmful algae; in early October 2026 Cleghorn Beach was under a warning and the rest of the lake under a caution.

Common questions

When is trout stocked?

DWR plants rainbow trout between late December and early May.

Do I need a boat inspection?

Yes, when you leave: since golden mussels were found in 2025, the park inspects all boats on exit.

Is it safe to eat the fish?

Follow OEHHA's Silverwood advisory: rainbow trout are the low-risk choice, while women 18 to 49 and children should avoid bass, catfish and striped bass.

Is fishing good at Silverwood Lake 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 the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Big Bear Lake23 miLake Perris31 miDiamond Valley Lake45 miNewport Beach57 miOceanside75 miCastaic Lake75 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 34.2830, -117.3330 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.