The fall cooling trend at Castaic Lake is confirmed. Surface temps dropped from last week and the first hints of the fall transition are showing up in how the fish are positioned and how they're feeding. The live shad bite remains exceptional — 30 to 50 fish half-days with bass to five pounds — but the way to find the bigger fish has shifted, and understanding that adjustment is what separates a good day from a great one right now. Guide Jim Taibi of 661Fishing.com has the full September 20th breakdown.
And if you want to hear it directly from Jim — he'll be at Tackle Express this Saturday, September 26th for a live seminar at our annual Tacos & Tackle event. Details at the bottom of this report.
⚠️ Lake Reminders:
West Ramp only for launching · Closed Mondays & Tuesdays · Launch at 6:30 AM · Off water 7:00 PM
📍 Entry gate: 32132 Castaic Lake Drive
🎣 Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass
The coves and main lake shallow shorelines are full of huge schools of big shad and silverside minnows right now — the baitfish situation at Castaic this fall is as good as Jim has seen it. But this week there's a positioning detail that matters if you want to find the bigger fish.
The bigger bass have moved off the shoreline. They're schooled up in the middle of coves, swimming and chasing baitfish in open water — away from the banks where the shad can escape into the weeds and rocks. The fish holding along the shore tend to be the resident six to twelve inch class. If you're working the bank and catching small fish, move out to the middle of the cove and find the open water schools.
Live shad is the dominant presentation — by a significant margin. 90% of the action is surface oriented and live shad is the top producer again this week. Artificial lures and techniques like the dropshot rig are minimally productive, generally only picking up the smaller shore-oriented fish. If you're set up for live shad, this is your week.
Topwater artificials are still an option — but require commitment. Lucky Craft Gunfish 115s and Fishus Espetit 95s will connect if you keep casting and find the willing fish. Jim's characterization is important here: you need to keep casting and find the fish that are in the mood. It's not as consistent as the live shad bite, but the fish are there.
The number that matters: 30 to 50 fish half-days with bass to five pounds. That's exceptional by any standard on any lake.
🐟 Striped Bass
Surface boils are minimal this week — the stripers are in the shallows working bait schools the same way the largemouth are, which means the concentrated open-water blow-ups anglers expect in summer aren't showing up reliably right now.
The adjustment Jim recommends: Stop running the main lake looking for boils. Stick to the coves — particularly in the Ski Arm — where it's a right-place-right-time scenario. Jim saw schools of stripers in three feet of water in the backs of coves in the Ski Arm this week. The fish are there. The strategy is being in the right cove at the right time rather than chasing open-water activity.
Blind casting is still producing. Fishus Espetit 95s and Lucky Craft Gunfish 115s are connecting on stripers averaging four to six pounds when fish are spotted. Cast at any surface activity in the shallows.
The encouraging sign: A few boils showed on the north side of the boat docks on Friday — Jim reads that as a potential signal that surface boil activity will return and become more frequent as the water cools. Surface temps are dropping. The fall striper bite that Castaic is capable of is building toward, not away from.
🌮 Jim Taibi Live at Tackle Express — This Saturday
This is it. Last chance.
Jim Taibi is at Tackle Express this Saturday, September 26th for a live fishing seminar at Tacos & Tackle CA 26. 49 years on Castaic Lake. The full fall transition breakdown. What patterns are coming and exactly what to have in your box when they arrive.
The full event:
→ Jim Taibi live fishing seminar
→ Free tacos — while supplies last
→ Up to 50% off in-store all day (9 AM–5 PM)
→ Prizes, additional seminars, and local vendors on site
→ Vendors on site: Daiwa, Shimano, Penn, Izorline, Berkley, Owner, Roboworm, JRI Lures, Okuma, United Composites Rods, Yamamoto Baits, Phenix Rods
📅 Saturday, September 26th
🕘 Pop-up event: 9 AM–2 PM | In-store deals: 9 AM–5 PM
📍 22941 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350
No registration needed. Just show up.
📍 Castaic Lake Conditions — September 20, 2026
🌡️ Surface Temp: 74°F (AM) / 78°F (PM) — dropping from last week, fall cooling confirmed
👁️ Clarity: 10–15 feet — zero algae, minimal debris
💧 Lake Level: Full
📅 Open Days: Wednesday–Sunday (closed Monday & Tuesday)
🕕 Park Opens: 6:00 AM
🚤 Launching: 6:30 AM — West Ramp only
🛑 Off Water: 7:00 PM
📍 Entry Gate: 32132 Castaic Lake Drive
🛒 What to Have in Your Box This Week
Live Bait — Primary Pattern:
- Live Shad — The dominant presentation by a wide margin; 30–50 fish half-days, bass to five pounds
Topwater Artificials — Secondary (Commitment Required):
- Lucky Craft Gunfish 115 — Keep casting until you find the willing fish
- Fishus Espetit 95 — Striper and bass topwater in the coves and shallows
Location this week:
Work the middle of coves in open water — not the shoreline. The bigger fish have moved off the banks and are chasing bait in open water. Ski Arm coves for stripers in the shallows.
👉 Shop All Castaic Lake Tackle at Tackle Express
In-store in Santa Clarita or shipped nationwide.
❓ Castaic Lake FAQ — September 2026
Where are the big bass at Castaic Lake right now?
In the middle of coves, not along the shoreline. The bigger fish are schooled up in open water chasing bait schools. Shore-oriented fish are running six to twelve inches. Move out to the middle of the cove to find the quality fish.
What's the best bait at Castaic Lake in late September?
Live shad is the dominant producer — 30 to 50 fish half-days with bass to five pounds. Topwater artificials including the Lucky Craft Gunfish 115 and Fishus Espetit 95 will connect if you keep casting and find the willing fish.
Where are the stripers at Castaic Lake this week?
In the coves, not the main lake. Jim saw schools of stripers in three feet of water in the backs of Ski Arm coves. Stop running the open lake looking for boils — stick to the coves and wait for the right-place right-time scenario.
Is the fall striper bite at Castaic coming?
Yes — surface temps are dropping and Jim saw the first signs of returning boil activity near the boat docks Friday. The fall striper bite typically builds as water cools through October.
Is Jim Taibi doing any public events?
Jim Taibi is at Tackle Express this Saturday, September 26th for a live fishing seminar at Tacos & Tackle. Free to attend. Up to 50% off in-store and major brands on site.
Where can I buy live shad and the baits Jim Taibi recommends for Castaic?
Tackle Express is minutes from Castaic Lake in Santa Clarita. We carry the Lucky Craft Gunfish 115, Fishus Espetit 95, and everything else in Jim's report. In-store at 22941 Soledad Canyon Rd or online at tackleexpress.com — shipped nationwide.
📍 Tackle Express — Your Local Castaic Headquarters
Minutes from Castaic Lake. Short drive from Pyramid Lake. We stock what Jim is fishing every week and our staff follows these reports firsthand. Come see Jim in person this Saturday — and come in before your next Castaic trip to get set up for the fall bite that's building.
Tackle Express | 22941 Soledad Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA
Report courtesy of Jim Taibi — 661Fishing.com. Jim is a licensed California fishing guide with over 49 years on Castaic Lake.
