The fall transition at Castaic Lake is showing up exactly where you'd want it — not in a slowdown, but in an upgrade. Bass are stacked in the shallow grass in numbers that are producing 30 to 50 fish on half-day trips with live shad. The surface bite is holding. And if you want to hear it all straight from the guide who's been on this water every week all season, Jim Taibi of 661Fishing.com will be at Tackle Express on September 26th for a live seminar at our annual Tacos & Tackle event. Here's the full September 13th report.
⚠️ Lake Reminders:
West Ramp only for launching · Closed Mondays & Tuesdays · Launch at 6:30 AM
🚨 Off water time has changed: 7:00 PM — earlier than last week, plan accordingly
📍 Entry gate: 32132 Castaic Lake Drive
🎣 Largemouth, Smallmouth & Spotted Bass
All three bass species are showing up in the same areas this week — a detail worth paying attention to as the fall pattern develops. Bass are feeding heavily on the abundant shad and silverside minnow schools in the shallower areas of the main lake and into the backs of some coves. The surface bite remains almost the entire game and Jim's numbers this week make the case better than anything else: 30 to 50 fish on half-day trips with live shad. That's the kind of fishing that defines September at Castaic when the conditions align.
Shallow grass is the key location this week. A large number of all three species are holding in the shallow grass, and the C3 Baits Flukenstein is getting bit with regularity there — especially when the south wind picks up around 10 AM. If you're not working the grass with the Flukenstein when the wind is blowing, you're leaving bites behind.
Surface presentations are still doing the bulk of the work:
→ Lucky Craft Gunfish 115 — Jim's primary topwater call for the third consecutive week
→ Fishus Espetit 95 — Connecting on both bass and stripers throughout the day
→ Fishus Espetit 70 — In the rotation alongside the larger baits
→ C3 Baits Flukenstein — The shallow grass specialist; most productive when the wind is blowing
Other techniques have been minimally productive. The lake is giving bass everything they need right now — easy, abundant baitfish in shallow water — and they're not chasing anything that doesn't look like what they're already eating.
Live shad fishing note: Jim specifically calls out the live shad bite as being as good as it gets right now. If you're rigging live shad, this is the week to commit to it. 30 to 50 fish half-days is not a figure of speech.
🐟 Striped Bass
Striper boils on the surface are few and far between this week — the same reason as recent weeks: the fish are in the shallows working the bait schools rather than blowing up on concentrated pods in open water. The good news is that blind casting surface lures in shallower water is still connecting on bigger fish, even during the middle of the day.
Stripers averaging four to seven pounds on the Fishus Espetit 95 and Lucky Craft Gunfish 115 — the same baits producing on largemouth in the same water. Cast at any surface activity. Work the shallow areas deliberately even without a visible boil. The fish are there.
🌮 Jim Taibi Live at Tacos & Tackle — September 26th
Before you plan your next Castaic trip, plan for this.
Jim Taibi will be at Tackle Express on Saturday, September 26th for a live fishing seminar as part of our annual Tacos & Tackle pop-up event. This is your chance to get Castaic-specific tackle advice directly from the guide who's been on the water every single week this season — what's changed, what's coming, and exactly how to fish the fall transition.
Tacos & Tackle CA 26 — what to expect:
→ Jim Taibi live seminar — Castaic Lake fall fishing breakdown
→ 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: 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 13, 2026
🌡️ Surface Temp: 76°F (AM) / 80°F (PM)
👁️ Clarity: 10–15 feet — zero algae, zero debris
💧 Lake Level: Full pool
📅 Open Days: Wednesday–Sunday (closed Monday & Tuesday)
🕕 Park Opens: 6:00 AM
🚤 Launching: 6:30 AM — West Ramp only
🚨 Off Water: 7:00 PM (earlier than previous weeks)
📍 Entry Gate: 32132 Castaic Lake Drive
🛒 What to Have in Your Box This Week
Topwater — Primary Pattern (All Species):
- Lucky Craft Gunfish 115 — Three weeks running as Jim's top topwater call
- Fishus Espetit 95 — Bass and stripers, all day including mid-day
- Fishus Espetit 70 — In the rotation alongside the larger options
- C3 Baits Flukenstein — Shallow grass specialist; time it to the 10 AM south wind
Live Bait:
- Live Shad — The bite is as good as it gets right now; 30–50 fish half-days
Timing note: Wind picks up from the south around 10 AM most days — that's the signal to work the shallow grass with the Flukenstein and stay on the topwater through the mid-day window.
👉 Shop All Castaic Lake Tackle at Tackle Express
In-store in Santa Clarita or shipped nationwide.
❓ Castaic Lake FAQ — September 2026
What time is off water at Castaic Lake this week?
Off water time has moved to 7:00 PM as of September 13th — earlier than the 7:30 PM that was in effect through late summer. Plan your trip accordingly and be off the water by 7 PM.
What's producing at Castaic Lake in September 2026?
The surface bite is almost the entire game — Lucky Craft Gunfish 115, Fishus Espetit 95 and 70, and the C3 Baits Flukenstein in the shallow grass. Live shad is producing 30 to 50 fish on half-day trips. Other techniques are minimally productive.
Where are the bass at Castaic Lake right now?
Shallow areas of the main lake and the backs of some coves, with a large concentration in the shallow grass. All three species — largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass — are showing up in the same areas this week.
Is Jim Taibi doing any public events?
Jim Taibi will be at Tackle Express in Santa Clarita on September 26th for a live seminar at the annual Tacos & Tackle pop-up event. Free admission. Up to 50% off in-store deals and major fishing brands on site.
Where can I buy the baits Jim Taibi recommends for Castaic Lake?
Tackle Express is minutes from Castaic Lake in Santa Clarita. We carry the Lucky Craft Gunfish 115, Fishus Espetit 70 and 95, C3 Baits Flukenstein, 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 throwing every week. Come in before your next trip — and come back on September 26th to meet Jim in person at Tacos & Tackle.
Tackle Express | 22941 Soledad Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA
📞 661-251-8700
