Lake Berryessa Fishing Report | September 1, 2025
The report at a glance
Depth
Anywhere from 48 feet down to 110 feet; run gear two to three feet above the bottom
Presentation
Slow troll the proven kokanee setup: Catch America 6-inch offset dodgers with a T-Pex, tipped with corn.
Lures and baits
6-inch offset dodger and T-Pex combo tipped with Chrome Killer corn (best setup)
At Camanche, long leaders with PowerBait for planted trout
Advice for this week
Chase the marks rather than sitting on one depth, since the fish are spread from 48 to 110 feet. If you are not comfortable dragging bottom, keep your gear two to three feet above it and you will still connect.
Next week
Berryessa keeps kicking out fish week after week, and the chrome fish and kings should hold. Camanche and Amador remain solid options for warmwater species.
Notable catch
A few nice kings up to five pounds.
Lake Berryessa keeps kicking out limits over Labor Day weekend 2025, with chrome fish, kings up to 5 pounds, Eagle Lake trout up to 4 pounds, and bonus catfish 15 to 20 pounds on the troll. Capt. Nate Kelsch runs a 6 inch offset Catch America dodger with the T-Pex, tipped with Chrome Killer corn, from 48 to 110 feet.
What is biting at Lake Berryessa right now?
Berryessa keeps kicking out fish. Capt. Nate Kelsch reports daily limits of chrome, full-scaled fish, mixed with nice kings up to 5 pounds and Eagle Lake trout up to 4 pounds. Big catfish from 15 to 20 pounds are even coming on the troll on kokanee gear. The T-Pex setup is doing the damage.
What depth are the fish holding at Lake Berryessa?
Fish are spread anywhere from 48 feet down to 110 feet, so you have to chase the marks. You will see schools down deeper and fish sitting in the mud. If you are not comfortable dragging the bottom, run your gear about two to three feet above it for a good chance at those fish.
What lures and colors work at Lake Berryessa?
The best setup is a 6 inch offset Catch America dodger with the T-Pex, tipped with Chrome Killer corn. Nate calls it hands down the best kokanee setup all year, not just at Berryessa but up and down California. It has been lights out.
How does Nate rig his Berryessa setup?
Run the 6 inch offset dodger ahead of the T-Pex, tipped with Chrome Killer corn, and fish it from 48 to 110 feet. Chase the marks up and down the column, and keep gear two to three feet off the bottom when fish are in the mud.
What is the outlook for Lake Berryessa?
Excellent. Nate is getting limits daily with a lot of the fish still chrome and full-scaled, a sign the fishery is in great shape heading through September. The kings and Eagle Lake trout add bonus quality. Longer-term outlook was not specified in this report.
Watch the full report
Lake Berryessa September 1, 2025 FAQ
Fish are spread from 48 to 110 feet. Chase the marks and keep gear two to three feet off the bottom when needed.
A 6 inch offset Catch America dodger with a T-Pex, tipped with Chrome Killer corn.
Limits of chrome fish, kings up to 5 pounds, Eagle Lake trout up to 4 pounds, and bonus catfish 15 to 20 pounds.
Yes. A lot of the fish are still really chrome with full scales intact, a sign of a healthy fishery.
Yes. Nate has been getting catfish up to 15 to 20 pounds on the troll while fishing kokanee gear.
Run your gear about two to three feet above the bottom if you are not comfortable dragging it.
