Fishing in Parkway Lake is perfect for very good, urban trophy trout. During trout season, a dozen or more trout weighing 10 pounds and up are caught each month.
The average fish catch per rod is better than 3 pounds. And all this fine fishing is only about a 30 minute drive for most anglers in the South Bay.
Parkway Lake is small – only about 35 acres. But it is deep (about 40 feet) and the water is relatively clear.
Parkway plants about 15,000 trout per month, including many larger than 8 pounds.
Parkway Lake sits in a 35-acre basin off the South Bay corridor, reachable by exiting the 101 at Blossom Hill, turning east on Parkway Drive, and following the brown “Fishing Lake” signs to the gated pay-lake entrance. The parking lot is 150 yards from the main dock, with a kiosk for day-passes, bait sales, net rentals, and weigh-ins.
Concrete paths circle 70% of the shoreline, with railings near the aerators and a dedicated cleaning station on the north bank. The deepest water (38–40 feet) lies off the west point near the bubbler island; shore-to-water drop-offs average 4–6 feet, so a long net helps.
Top baits for planters are garlic chartreuse PowerBait, salmon peach with silver flake, and corn yellow dough; run them on 4–6 lb fluoro leaders to keep buoyancy consistent. When fish key on scent, switch to Mice Tails in bubblegum/white or pink/pearl on size 10 Owner Mosquito hooks for neutral float.
Lure standouts are Thomas Buoyant 1/6 oz in rainbow or gold/red, 1/8 oz Kastmaster in chrome/blue, and 1.5-inch Rooster Tails in white or black/bronze; add a slow roll with short rod pops. For larger trout, a 1/4 oz Rapala Countdown in brown trout or brook trout, counted to 8–12 seconds, regularly produces.
November–March plants see trout cruising 4–12 feet at first light and again from 3–5 p.m.; water temps sit mid-50s to low 60s then, keeping them mid-column. April–May fish slide deeper by mid-morning, holding 15–22 feet over the west bowl when sun is high.
June–September favors dawn and last hour of light, with trout suspending 18–28 feet under the main aerator lines. After rain events, a 24–30 hour window has fish slide shallow to 6–10 feet on the north bank current seams.
Work the west point near the bubbler island for quick depth changes, casting 80–100 feet to intersect the 18–24 foot contour. The north bank riprap by the cleaning station pushes current and concentrates fish within 20 feet of shore on breezy days.
On plant days, target the south cove where trucks back in; a 2–3 foot leader and bright dough will pick off freshly stocked fish cruising 3–6 feet. For bigger holdovers, fish the east fence line and cast parallel, letting a slow-sinking bait trail along the 12–16 foot edge.
Position a tube on the west bowl, anchor with a 3 lb mushroom, and fan-cast spoons counted down 10–14 seconds to reach the mid-suspension zone. Slow-troll at 0.8–1.1 mph with a size 12 dodger and 18-inch leader to a pink/white mini tube jig when fish are scattered.
Run a side-drifting rig with a 1/8 oz sliding egg weight, bead, and 3-foot 4 lb fluoro leader to a single salmon egg or dough to tick 16–20 feet. In wind, kick parallel to the aerator ropes and vertical-jig 1/8 oz silver Kastmasters straight under the tube for followers.
Use a size 12 treble or size 10 Mosquito with a pea-sized ball of dough, leaving no seams so it floats true; leader length 20–24 inches for shallow fish, 30–42 inches when they suspend higher off bottom. Pair with a 1/4 oz egg sinker above a swivel to keep casts long without overpowering the float.
In clear water, downsize to 4 lb fluoro and pinch a match-head of chartreuse/garlic; in stained water after a plant, upsize to a grape/garlic blend for contrast. Let baits soak 4–6 minutes, then drag 6–12 inches to stir silt and trigger pressured fish.
From June–September, anchor cut mackerel, shrimp, or garlic chicken liver on size 2 circle hooks, 18–24 inch 12 lb mono leaders, and 1/2 oz sliding sinkers. Night fishing is prime from 8 p.m. to midnight along the south cove and north riprap where warm water collects.
Drift a float rig set to 6–10 feet with a 1/0 octopus hook and a thumbnail of sardine if moss is heavy on bottom. Refresh bait every 20 minutes; catfish in Parkway respond to fresh oil more than volume.
In the summer months, there are catfish (also stocked), bass and panfish to pursue.
Spotted and largemouth bass hold on the aerator cables and submerged tires in the east corner; fish 3-inch green pumpkin Senkos wacky-rigged on size 1 finesse hooks, counting them down 6–10 seconds. Early morning, burn a 1/4 oz white/chartreuse spinnerbait along the shade line of the west bank and kill it near breaks.
Bluegill and redear stack under docks; present a size 14 hook with a micro piece of nightcrawler under a fixed float set to 3–5 feet. In summer, tiny 1/32 oz black/blue crappie jigs catch pannies when tipped with a waxworm.
When trout hold 20–30 feet over 40, count down spoons to 12–15 seconds and retrieve with a slow, steady grind and a 2-second pause every 10 cranks. Vertical drop-shot a 1/8 oz weight with a 24-inch tag to a size 10 hook tipped with a 1-inch white Gulp! Minnow; hold it still, then quiver.
Lead core at two colors out with a 1.5-inch pink Apex or small blue/silver Speedy Shiner keeps you in the mid-column without downriggers. If birds mark bait balls, hover and yo-yo a 1/4 oz silver Kastmaster in 5-foot lifts to trigger followers.
Northwest winds stack warm surface water on the south bank, pushing trout to the cooler west bowl and aerator shade by midday. When east winds blow, expect mud lines on the west side and fish tight to the first 10 feet of cleaner water.
On high-barometer bluebird days, downsize leaders to 4 lb, run natural corn or peach, and extend to 36–48 inches for shy biters. Low ceilings and drizzle let you fish 12–18 inch leaders with brighter chartreuse or pink, as trout cruise higher.
No state license is required, but a day-pass is mandatory; standard is a per-rod fee, with a two-rod maximum unless a combo permit is purchased. Keep limits are enforced; trout limits typically five, catfish five, and bass catch-and-release only—confirm at the kiosk before fishing.
Facilities include restrooms, snack bar with ice, rental nets, and aerated livewells at the dock for weigh-ins. Barbless not required, but crushed barbs speed releases; no personal gas motors, though electric trolling motors on pontoons are allowed.
No license is required, but there is a fishing fee.
Run 6 lb fluoro and size 8 hooks to avoid bend-outs, and fish oversized baits: double-stacked Mice Tail (pink/white over white) or a trimmed 2-inch bubblegum worm on a 24–30 inch leader. Cast beyond the first drop, let settle, then micro-drag 6 inches every 90 seconds to mimic a slow leech.
For giants suspended, slow-troll a 2.0 Mag Lip in metallic gold/fluorescent red at 1.3 mph, 60–80 feet back on straight 8 lb mono to keep a wide wobble. If fish follow but won’t commit, add a 6mm red bead above the split ring to focus strikes.
Arrive 45 minutes pre-open and clip a slip float to mark your productive depth once you hook a fish; keep that set for the session as trout at Parkway hold tight to a band. Carry both garlic and anise oils; a single drop on dough after two blank casts often flips a light bite window.
On plant days, wait 90 minutes before moving to the west point—stockers acclimate and then slide to the deeper oxygen-rich water; intercept with a 30–36 inch leader and salmon peach flake. When the lake gets glassy, swap to 2 lb fluoro, size 12 single egg hook, and a thumbnail of plain yellow—stealth beats flash on pressured afternoons.
Planning a multi-lake trip or exploring more Bay Area fishing? Check out these resources:
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