We’re proud to partner with local guide Jim Taibi of 661fishing.com, who hits the water regularly and shares the real scoop so you can make the most of your time on the lake. Here’s the latest Castaic Lake fishing report for Saturday, April 5, 2026:

Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass: The Great Bite Keeps Rolling 🔥

Bass fishing remains strong at Castaic Lake. The bulk of the largemouth are either actively spawning or holding in pre-spawn areas. Early-week rain gave way to a couple of solid fishing days mid-week before high winds kicked in on Friday — classic unpredictable spring weather!

Top techniques that are dominating:

• Dropshot rigs
• Carolina rigs with straight tail worms

Baits that continue to produce best:

• C3 Baits Shimmy’s
• Bait Merchant / C3 Baits Calligators
• Prototype 1 Worms

Wacky-rigged 5″ Daiwa Neko Fat worms are also loading the boat with good numbers and make an excellent change-up when the fish get picky.

Where the fish are: Bigger fish are tending to hold a little deeper in the 20–30 foot zone, while plenty of action is coming from steep walls, bluffs, main-lake points, and secondary points in both the Ski Arm and Fish Arm.

Jim’s advice: If you pull up and don’t get bit right away, keep moving until you find the active ones. The fish are spread between shallow spawners and deeper staging fish, so mobility pays off big this time of year.

Striped Bass: Still Tough to Pattern

Some trollers are working lead-core lines and trolling flies with minimal success. Cut-sardine dunkers are picking up a fish here and there, but the schools remain scattered at different depths and are hard to target consistently. We’ll keep you posted as soon as they start grouping up — the bite should improve as conditions settle.

Rainbow Trout: Season Winding Down

Trout fishing is pretty much done for the season. The few remaining holdovers are mostly being caught incidentally by bass anglers using dropshot finesse worms and wacky rigs.

Important Lake Info (Mark This Down)

• Lake is CLOSED on Mondays & Tuesdays
• Launching is West Ramp Only
• Entry gate address: 32132 Castaic Lake Drive (west side of the lagoon)

Current Conditions (as of April 5):

• Surface Temp: 64 °F (morning) – 67 °F (afternoon)
• Water Clarity: 10–20 ft – zero algae
• A few pieces of driftwood still floating around
• Lake Level: Down 25 ft and stable

Lake Hours (as of Sunday 4/5):

• Open: 6:00 a.m.
• Launching: 7:00 a.m.
• Off water: 7:00 p.m.
• Park closes: 8:00 p.m.

Spring at Castaic is one of the most fun times to be on the water, and the finesse bite is dialed in right now. Swing by our Santa Clarita storefront (just minutes from the lake) or head to tackleexpress.com and place your order before 2 p.m. PST. We offer 99% same-day shipping, free shipping on orders over $59.99, and only $5.99 flat rate on smaller orders. Grab those C3 Baits Shimmy’s, Calligators, Prototype Worms, Daiwa Neko Fat worms, dropshot gear, and everything else you need — shipped fast by folks who actually fish these waters.

Tight lines, Your friends at Tackle Express Santa Clarita, CA