Lake Elevation: 1738 and dropping
Surface water temp: 78 - 84 degrees
Fish Plants: Rainbow trout, 2,400 pounds May 17th. No catfish plants have been scheduled yet for this summer.
Lake Hours: 5:30 am - 7:00 pm. Effective August 1st 6:00 am ??? 7:00 pm.
Weather:??Temperatures have been in the 90's to 100's with mild winds in the afternoon.
Bass: It was another good week of bass fishing at DVL.??The bass have been hitting on a variety of baits. There has been steady topwater action in the morning for those fishing in the coves. There have been heavy reports of fish caught on drop shot. 3-4" dark green or brown plastic worms have been consistent as well as Carolina rigged 7-9" worms fished off the points. Many anglers have been relying on shad pattern flukes with underspins. There has been plenty of opportunities for those dipping bait.. DFG??permits the use of one scoop of live shad from a regulation dip net. Dipping shad can be difficult, so the use of shad replica lures is an effective alternative. When fishing in bait schools try your best to match the size and color of the bait. Reported depths and locations have varied tremendously. Catches have been between 15 and 40 feet. ??The rock quarry, the islands on the north shore and around the saddle dam has been the most reported bass spots. Shoreline anglers have had consistent catches, but with less success than the boat anglers.

The LAIF "Angling for Autism" charity bass tournament, sponsored by WON Bass, exemplified the outstanding DVL bass fishing. John and Tammy Morrow got the top weight at 20.92 pounds their biggest fish at 7.44. Team Folkstead/Ricci got the number two spot with 19.83 pounds their big bass at 6.24. Six year old JadenVandenberg of riverside was ecstatic over his 2.5 pound bass that fell for his plastic worm.

Trout: The trout bite at DVL is holding strong. Reports have trout being caught from 40- 60 feet along the west dam, near the inlet tower and around restroom 3. Fishing from a boat is mandatory for those seeking trout. Trolling or drift fishing have been the most effective methods. For those anglers who are not equipped with downriggers, lead core line or diving planes are comparable methods for achieving specific depths while trolling. Hot lures for trolling are Needlefish, TD minnow lures, Berkley Frenzy lures, and shad pattern Rapalas. Trailing a night crawler behind flashers or dodgers has been a lethal combination. When drifting, light line is imperative. It is advised not to use any more than 4# test line John Bolduc of homeland got a limit of thick trout trolling a needlefish at 60 feet on the west dam. The summer Trout Smackdown winner was "Kewlwhip" who picked up a 5.78 pound trout trolling the west side.

Striper: There were no striper reports this week. ??Striper fishing seems to be at it's best either early in the morning, in the late afternoon, or on overcast days. Fishing near the inlet tower is advised for those seeking striper. Trout swim baits, Plugs or stick baits have been the most reported lures for striper.

Catfish:????The top spots have been near the wave attenuator, the third cove of shoreline fishing, and near the rock quarry. The most reported baits have been Anchovies, mackerel, and shrimp. Nicholas Wise of Murrieta got a 18.8 pound catfish fishing the south shore with a crank bait. Roger Harsha of Los Angeles got a great catfish limit unofficial weight was close to 40 pounds. He was fishing with mackerel in 15 feet of water in varied coves on the west side. George Baker of Los Angeles got his catfish limit with unofficial weight near 40 pounds also fishing with mackerel in coves on the west side.

Panfish: It was a great week for panfish. The bluegill have been bountiful. The most reported spots for bluegill have been near the dams. Crappies are near the wave attenuator, the rock pile at the mouth of Rawson cove, or near the eucalyptus trees in the south east corner. Live worms or shad have been the best bet for panfish.

Lake Records:

Lake Record Striper November 11, 2005: Art Berry of Hemet; 29.77 lb. striper caught at East Dam using swimbait.

Lake Record Largemouth Bass March 16th 2007: DVL would like to congratulate Mike Long of Poway who became the new Largemouth bass record holder this week with a 16.43 pound bass. He was fishing the west dam with a 6" "Real Trout" Rago swimbait.

Lake Record Crappie: 3.0 pounds landed by Keith Thomas. He was fishing with shad.

Lake Record Blue Gill: John Arganda, of?? Menifee, broke the lake pan fish record by bringing in a 3.06 pound blue gill. He got it on a night crawler fishing near the saddle dam.

Lake Record Catfish January 19, 2007: Congratulations to Doug Hagadorn of Valley Center! He caught a 32.80 pound catfish. He was fishing at 60 feet with a Pig N' Jig around the first island on the north shore.

Lake Record Trout, March 12, 2005: Shawn Luhmann got a 11.30 pound rainbow trout on on the shoreline fishing area.