Lake Del Valle Fishing consist mostly of trout. It provide the most action and are planted regularly.
Trout ranging from 6 inches to 8 pounds are taken from the lake year-round. Anglers working very deep take trout during the summer months.
Favorite baits include salmon eggs, nightcrawlers and cheese. The dam area and creek channel are the two top producers.
Where the creek enters the south end of the lake is very productive in April, May and June. Trollers score on a variety of lures including Kastmasters, Panther Martins and Roostertails.
Lake Del Valle’s winter trout bite demands patience—drop jigs or weighted nightcrawlers to 25–35 feet where the chill keeps the fish sluggish, and focus on the thermal layer near the dam face where the water holds steady around 50–55°F. Keep retrievals slow and deliberate, letting the bait sit a beat before lifting to entice lethargic fish that won’t chase fast-moving lures.
During spring spawn, head to the protected flats near Arroyo Valle and the lower creek inflows where trout stack up to feed and stage. Use unweighted spawn sacs, small hootchies, or bright orange Kastmasters in 15–20 feet just outside the redds.
Drift through these areas with a small planer or split shot rig, watching for surface boils and keeping your bait in their strike zone while avoiding the shallow nests themselves. In summer the fish slide into the deep basin, so find the thermocline—often between 55 and 65 feet—and target it with downriggers set 5–10 feet above the temperature break.
A green- or blue-ghost spoons or slim-profile twitchbaits with a slow, pulsed retrieve pays dividends. Electronics are essential—mark the temperature gradients on your sonar, then maintain consistent depth with a downrigger or long leader while trolling parallel to the points on the north and south shores where bait schools concentrate.
Fall transitions are all about following the bite back toward the surface. Cast medium-sized flashers with rainbow trout spawn or floating woolly buggers near the middle channels at 20–30 feet, where the trout chase shrinking schools of shad.
When the wind backs off, try slow-rolled spinners or vertical jigs along the points off the boat launches, and be ready to adjust to 15 feet as the water cools and the trout begin to follow the incoming creeks. Trolling flashers are optional.
Bass go for rubber worms, crankbaits and crickets. A Rapala or Rebel is also often effective on bass, and sometimes works well on the trout population.
For bass anglers at Lake Del Valle, the best bets are the rocky points jutting from the North Shore near the Marina, the submerged tree tops along the south coves, and the vegetation-choked flats off the eastern arm where hydrilla and milfoil hug the shoreline. Focus on these structural zones because bass invert to the hard-bottom tufa ridges and the ledges that funnel baitfish, so locating contour breaks on your sonar lets you park directly over the feeding lanes.
Seasonal bass behavior at Del Valle follows a predictable rhythm. Early spring sees prespawn fish staging on secondary points and deep scalloped ledges at 12–18 feet before sliding shallow to spawn in 3–6 feet of water, while summer pushes them into shady, oxygen-rich pockets in 18–25 feet of water near submerged stumps.
Fall anglers benefit from the transition as bass cruise the edges of the main lake basin and the dam wall, aggressively eating schooling baitfish as water cools. This makes post-spawn patterns the most reliable.
Top lures for Del Valle bass include 5-inch green pumpkin Texas-rigged soft plastics worked slowly around submerged brush, deep-diving crankbaits in the 7–12 foot range along the dam’s rocky shelves, and rattletrap-style lipless crankbaits burned across the flats during the pre-dawn bite. Match your retrieve speed to the water temperature—slow, subtle hops on the soft plastics during colder periods, and steady medium-speed cranks in warmer months keep the bass reacting instead of just watching the bait.
Time-of-day matters greatly on Del Valle. The most productive windows are the first 90 minutes of light when bass move into the flats and the last hour before dark when they push back toward structure to feed.
Midday can still yield bites on cloudy days by targeting deep humps with drop-shot rigs or slow-rolled spinnerbaits. The morning and evening transitions consistently produce the largest, most aggressive fish.
Catfish can provide anglers with steady action if you can locate them. Nightcrawlers, red worms, clams and stinkbaits all work well.
Usually anglers who find a school of catfish will catch a stringer full. Catfish in Lake Del Valle concentrate around the deep-water drop-offs of the east shoreline and the flooded brush near the spillway channel, where the current funnels bait and oxygen.
Target these zones just after dusk when the thermocline sinks and the bluegill and shad that catfish feed on become sluggish. Use fresh cut shad, nightcrawlers, or dip baits with a tight, 1/4 to 1/2 ounce Carolina rig that keeps the bait just off the bottom, and anchor upwind to let your line ride quietly into the channel without pulling the slick.
Big striped bass surprise anglers from time to time. Although not common, they do cruise the Del Valle waters.
Most are taken by fishermen working for trout or bass. Striped bass migrate through the mid-lake points and submerged humps, especially along the western flats adjacent to the pipeline outlet and the marina, where oxygen-rich water and baitfish schools converge.
They tend to suspend near the surface in the early morning and late evening then work deeper around 15 to 30 feet as midday heat pushes them downward. Look for surface boils, tight bait schools on your sonar, and work the windward shoreline with fast, erratic retrieves to trigger aggressive reaction strikes from stalkers holding in the current seams.
For tackle, catfish respond best to 7-foot medium-heavy rods with a 3500–4000 size reel spooled with 20–30 lb braid paired to a 40–50 lb fluorocarbon leader to resist abrasion from brushes. Striped bass demand a stiffer 7'6" to 8’ medium-heavy baitcasting stick, 300–400 yards of 30 lb braid, and a 12–18 lb fluorocarbon leader to maintain sensitivity and hook-setting power.
Rig catfish with a slip sinker, egg weight, and size 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook. For stripers, use a 3-way swivel, 1/2 to 1 ounce dropper, and either a holographic swimbait or a 6" soft plastic jerkbait threaded on a 3/0 wide-gap hook for precise presentation in varying current conditions.
Anglers need a valid California fishing license to cast a line at Lake Del Valle. Licenses are required for everyone 16 and older, so grab yours online or from a tackle shop before you arrive.
The lake follows California Fish and Wildlife rules—bag limits usually allow five trout with at most two over 16 inches or five largemouth bass. There are seasonal closures or special regulations for certain species, so double-check the latest bulletin before your trip.
Spring and fall offer the most productive bass and trout action—water temperatures are kinder to fish, baitfish are active, and early morning or late afternoon sessions yield the best strikes. Summers can be hot but still produce if you focus on deeper structure or shaded shoreline and fish near cooler-water inflows.
Winter is quieter but can reward those targeting bigger trout holding near the dam. Del Valle gets busy on pleasant weekends, so aim to arrive before sunrise to secure parking near the boat launch and minimize walking.
Weekday trips are noticeably calmer. Bring polarized sunglasses, a cooler with water and snacks, a good landing net, and cash for the small launch fee—experienced locals also swear by a depth finder or GPS to find submerged channels when the surface bite quiets down.
Del Valle Lake is in the Del Valle Regional Park, 10 miles south of Livermore.
The lake has almost 1000 surface acres of water and about 16 miles of shoreline.
There is an active planting program. Species include trout, largemouth bass, catfish, bluegill and striped bass.
The lake itself has two swimming beaches, four lane boat ramp, tour boats and rental boats. Del Valle Regional Park, at 3445 acres, has picnicking, camping, hiking trails and an equestrian center.
Del Valle Co., 6999 Del Valle Rd., Livermore, CA 94550, (510) 373-0332; East Bay Regional Parks, 7000 Del Valle Rd., Livermore, CA 94550, (510)881-1833
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