San Joaquin Delta Fishing Report | September 22, 2025
The report at a glance
Presentation
For Delta stripers, work them on bait, on the troll, and casting until you connect. For high mountain trout, top line a micro Junior Trigger Spoon in gold, and try a Trix Minnow XL when trout key on a 2 inch baitfish profile.
Lures and baits
Bait, trolled lures, and casting gear for the stripers. A gold micro trigger spoon and a 2 inch pattern Trix Minnow XL for the Lake Davis rainbows.
Water temperature
66 degrees at Lake Davis
Weather
Perfect and still at dawn at Lake Davis.
Advice for this week
On the Delta, put your time in and cover water, since fish are still filtering into the system. At Lake Davis, when a heavy bug hatch has trout feeding on top, stay high and top line small spoons rather than going deep.
Next week
Both fisheries should continue to improve into October. Delta striper numbers are building weekly, and the high mountain trout bite is just getting started.
Notable catch
A beautiful rainbow landed top lining a micro trigger spoon at Lake Davis.
Delta striper fishing is steady out of the B&W Resort Marina in late September 2025, on bait, on the troll, and casting, with weeds still a challenge. Sturgeon were seen jumping off Three Mile Slough. At Lake Davis, Capt. Cal Kellogg top-lined a beautiful rainbow on a gold micro Trigger Spoon and got another on a prototype Trix Minnow XL.
How is Delta striper fishing right now?
Steady out of the B&W Resort Marina. Capt. Cal Kellogg is getting stripers on bait, on the troll, and casting. Weeds continue to be a challenge, but conditions improve every week as more fish push into the system. Put your time in and you will get nice stripers.
Were there sturgeon on the San Joaquin?
Yes. Cal saw sturgeon jumping right outside the mouth of Three Mile Slough, which is not something you see every day in that area. It is more typically a west-side and Suisun Bay behavior, so it was an exciting sight while running the Delta.
What is working at Lake Davis for trout?
During a big bug hatch that had trout feeding all around, Cal top-lined a beautiful high-mountain rainbow on a gold micro Trigger Spoon. Later he got one on his prototype Trix Minnow XL, a 2-inch pattern bait the trout jumped all over. Water was a perfect 66 degrees at dawn.
How should I present lures at Lake Davis?
Top-line a gold micro Trigger Spoon near the surface during morning bug hatches, staying mobile with a kayak to reach feeding fish. A small 2-inch Trix Minnow XL pattern also drew hard strikes. Match the small profile to the hatch the trout are keyed on.
What is the outlook for the Delta and Lake Davis?
Cal expects both fisheries to keep improving through October. Delta stripers should get more numerous as more fish enter the system, and the high-mountain trout bite should build into fall. Specific striper depths were not specified in this report.
Watch the full report
San Joaquin Delta September 22, 2025 FAQ
Steady out of the B&W Resort Marina on bait, troll, and casting, though weeds remain a challenge.
A gold micro Trigger Spoon, top-lined during a morning bug hatch.
A perfect 66 degrees at dawn with calm conditions.
A 2-inch pattern soft bait that produced a Lake Davis rainbow, which Cal was prototyping.
Sturgeon were seen jumping just outside the mouth of Three Mile Slough, which is uncommon there.
Specific striper depths were not specified in this report.
