Kern River Fish Report for 3-27-2026
Water flows on the Upper Kern River have increased as snowmelt continues
Kern River

by Chad Burton and Chris Borden
3-27-2026
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Water flows on the Upper Kern River have increased as snowmelt continues with the warmer weather, but conditions remain fishable. Anglers have been catching trout from Riverside Park in Kernville up to Johnsondale Bridge using salmon eggs, mini jigs, spinners, and pinched crawlers. The Upper Kern River was stocked this week in Sections 4 and 5, providing a nice boost to the bite. On the Lower Kern River, trout action has been steady, with fish biting on salmon eggs, pinched crawlers, garlic-doused Powerbait, and mini jigs. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has a scheduled trout stocking the week of April 5th across all three sections within the canyon. Bass fishing on the Lower Kern continues to improve, with anglers finding success using small crankbaits, jigs, and spinners, while catfish are being caught on dip baits, nightcrawlers, and cut baits. At the time of this report, the Upper Kern River was flowing at 2,430 CFS and the Lower Kern River was flowing at 645 CFS.
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More Reports
Cope's Tackle and Rod Shop Reports
for Friday, March 27th
California Aqueduct: Anglers continued to report a steady striper bite
Castaic Lake: Anglers reported excellent fishing for both largemouth and smallmouth bass
Pyramid Lake, CA: Water clarity remained poor, but the fishing stayed good
Lake Isabella: The bass bite remains solid
Cope's Tackle and Rod Shop Reports
for Friday, March 20th
California Aqueduct: Anglers reported a steady striper bite
Castaic Lake: The bite has not fully taken off at Castaic yet
Pyramid Lake, CA: Pyramid remained at full capacity with water temperatures in the upper fifties
Lake Isabella: Lake Isabella has increased to 51 percent of its storage capacity this week
Kern River: Water flows on the Upper Kern River have increased this week but remain very fishable
Lake Kaweah: Better bites still coming from deeper water
Lake Success: Newly submerged trees and bushes created excellent ambush points for bass
River Walk Lakes: As water temperatures continue to rise, bass are beginning to push into shallower water
Ming Lake: Bass are moving onto beds, and anglers are reporting excellent fishing
Buena Vista Lakes: Anglers were still picking off the remaining planted trout at BV
Hart Park Lake: The bass bite came alive with the warmer weather
Lake Nacimiento: The lake level held at 66 percent of capacity, and water temperatures stayed in the prime spring bite zone with clear water
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