Kern River Fish Report for 12-5-2025
On the Upper Kern, flows have dropped back down and CDFW has stocked trout throughout the 20-mile stretch
Kern River
by Chad Burton and Chris Borden
12-5-2025
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On the Upper Kern, flows have dropped back down and CDFW has stocked trout throughout the 20-mile stretch. Anglers are picking up fish at the easy-access spots using salmon eggs, crickets and trout jigs. This week’s plants included Section 4 (Powerhouse #3 to Riverside Park in Kernville) and Section 6 (Fairview Dam to Johnsondale Bridge). On the Lower Kern, the cooler water temperatures have kept the largemouth and smallmouth bass bite fair. Plastics worked slowly in the softer currents and eddies are producing a few smallmouths. At the time of this report, flows were 334 CFS on the Upper Kern and 413 CFS on the Lower Kern.
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More Reports
Cope's Tackle and Rod Shop Reports
for Friday, December 5th
California Aqueduct: Fishing was fair to good in the aqueduct depending on the angler
Castaic Lake: Castaic Lake held near 76 percent of capacity, and fishing was decent
Pyramid Lake, CA: The lake dropped to 89 percent of storage capacity, and water temperatures were in the low sixties
Lake Isabella: The winter bass bite has been strong
Cope's Tackle and Rod Shop Reports
for Friday, November 28th
California Aqueduct: Striper reports stayed about the same, with steady catches coming in
Castaic Lake: Lake levels shifted between 79 and 76 percent of capacity, and anglers reported a wide range of results
Pyramid Lake, CA: Dry weather kept conditions stable last week, and the bite stayed essentially the same
Lake Isabella: With last week’s heavy storms, Lake Isabella has inched up to 33 percent of capacity
Kern River: Recent rain has fluctuated the river flow but has since leveled
Lake Kaweah: The lake held at 14 percent of capacity last week, and fishing was fair overall with bass offering the best action
Lake Success: The lake rose to 19 percent of capacity last week, and the winter pattern settled in
River Walk Lakes: The Bakersfield Firefighters Trout Derby took place last Saturday, and the trout bite was outstanding
Ming Lake: Bass at Lake Ming are very active right now, chasing shad and other baitfish throughout the lake
Buena Vista Lakes: Fishing was fair at BV last week, but the remaining trout provided action for patient anglers
Hart Park Lake: Fishing remained fair at Hart Park last week
Truxtun Lake: Anglers reported good fishing for smaller bass at Truxtun Lakes last week
Lake Nacimiento: The water level dropped a couple of feet to 35 percent of capacity
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