Kern River Fish Report

The Upper Kern River hasn’t been stocked in the past couple of weeks, but fishing remains fair to good

Kern River

by Chad Burton and Chris Borden
7-25-2025
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The Upper Kern River hasn’t been stocked in the past couple of weeks, but fishing remains fair to good. With river flows running low, the best trout action has been in deeper pools and slower-moving eddies. Salmon eggs, trout worms, and Panther Martins have been producing bites, while fly anglers are finding success in the popular 20-mile stretch using nymphs and streamers. Down on the Lower Kern, the CDFW recently stocked Section Three, and anglers are reporting solid trout action from Democrat all the way to the Isabella Dam. Traditional baits like nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, and small spinners continue to produce. The smallmouth bass bite has been very good, particularly in the canyon stretches. A few local anglers reported excellent numbers, with fish on the smaller side but hitting consistently. Smallmouth are being caught throughout the Lower Kern on Get Bent Baits, small crankbaits, and spinners. As of this report, the Upper Kern is flowing at 361 CFS, while the Lower Kern is running at 1527 CFS.

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More Reports

Cope's Tackle and Rod Shop Reports

for Friday, July 25th

California Aqueduct: Anglers on the California Aqueduct found steady catfish action
Castaic Lake: The lake remained close to 94 percent of capacity, with water temperatures lingering in the upper 70s
Pyramid Lake, CA: The lake held near 90 percent of its storage capacity, and water temperatures were in the upper 70s
Lake Isabella: Anglers are reporting solid trout action this week

Cope's Tackle and Rod Shop Reports

for Friday, July 18th

California Aqueduct: Aqueduct anglers reported solid catfish action
Castaic Lake: An emerging algae bloom spreading throughout the lake
Pyramid Lake, CA: Water clarit yis poor making bass fishing challenging in the pea soup
Lake Isabella: Summer bass fishing remains productive at Lake Isabella
Kern River: The Upper Kern River is flowing just over 400 CFS, offering great conditions for both wading and fishing
Lake Kaweah: Fishing ranged from fair to good, with spotted bass offering the most consistent action
Lake Success: Success Lake fell to 62 percent of its storage capacity, and bass fishing was good
River Walk Lakes: The bass bite here has been somewhat inconsistent
Ming Lake: The topwater bite remains strong
Buena Vista Lakes: Fishing was fair to good at BV, with bass anglers focusing in the cattails and reeds
Hart Park Lake: Bass anglers had success using weedless topwater lures and frogs
Lake Nacimiento: Naci sat at 49 percent of its storage capacity, and fishing was good