Fishing in California’s Lake Elsinore: 6 Epic Fish You Might Catch

Lake Elsinore is a large natural freshwater lake in Southern California. You can find the lake near the city of Lake Elsinore on the western edge of Riverside County. This lake is shallow and rich with nutrients, so it is no wonder certain fish are the kings of this lake. Fish that you may catch at this lake is largemouth bass, crappies, bluegills, wipers, and channel catfish. After reading this article, I hope you plan on packing up your things and visiting Lake Elsinore for some epic fishing!

1. Largemouth Bass

Largemouth Bass love to swim around grassy areas of lakes. These ambush feeders are difficult to catch at times. They can be caught on lures, plastic bait, and worms. Most bass captured in California waters are over 10 pounds, so you might get lucky at Lake Elsinore!

2. Crappie

There are two types of crappie in Lake Elsinore. The Black crappie has irregular dark blotches and seven to eight dorsal spines. The White crappie has regular dark bars down its body with five or six dorsal spines. If you are aiming to catch this particular fish, they like to feed early. Crappies are native to North America and enjoy waters with an abundance of vegetation or sandy-muddy bottoms. This fish has an average lifespan of four years, but some have lived for eight to ten. On average crappies weigh about two pounds and grow up to ten inches.

3. Carp

Carps are a highly prized sport fish in Europe but are not loved by all anglers. These fish can grow over 50 pounds and grow up to 40 inches. If you are looking to capture this type of fish, the wintertime isn’t the best time because they tend to stay at the bottom. Carps are usually gold to dark brown with reddish fins.

4. Channel Catfish

Channel catfish are a popular fish to capture at Lake Elsinore. These opportunistic bottom-dwellers have an average lifespan of 15 years but can live up to 40 years. They can grow up to 4 feet long and weigh over 50 pounds. Channel catfish have grayish-blue sides, a black back, and a white belly.

5. Bluegill

Bluegills are beautiful tiny fish that can grow up to 7.5 inches and weigh 4 pounds. You may have luck capturing this fish around the weedy shorelines of the lake or around rocky areas. They like to eat night crawlers or wax worms on a bobber.

6. Wipers

Wipers are a hybrid mix of white and striped basses. This fish was first produced in South Carolina in the mid-1960s and since then has been introduced in various places in the United States. Wipers are aggressive feeders and fighters, so be prepared to put in work for this fish. They typically travel in school and can be captured on trolling baits, lures, or minnows. This fish on average is 12 pounds and can grow up to 24 inches long. There have been reports of this fish weighing 20 pounds.