San Luis Reservoir Fishing Report | December 2025
The report at a glance
Presentation
Trolling the main lake to cover water. Hunt for fish and watch for bait balls, since the roaming schools change spots daily.
Lures and baits
No specific lures were named this week.
Water temperature
65 to 66 degrees, down from 67 to 68
Water clarity
Visibility has improved
Water level
Come up 16 feet in the last 13 days
Weather
Days swing from bright sunshine near 63 degrees to foggy, overcast mornings in the low 50s
Advice for this week
Plan to search for fish every trip until the water stabilizes. Do not be surprised when the fish move shallow to deep in a hurry.
What is changing
The lake has come up 16 feet in the last 13 days, spreading out the bait and throwing the fish off. Water temps have slipped from 67 to 68 down to 65 to 66. Visibility has actually improved.
Next week
This is a transition period. Limits are still possible and a few big fish are coming up. The bite should improve once the water settles.
San Luis Reservoir stripers are in a transition bite in December 2025, rated about 3 to 4 out of 10 by Roger George. The lake has come up 16 feet in 13 days and surface temps slid from 68 to 65 degrees, so fish are on the move and searching for bait. Trolling the main lake is producing. Limits are possible and a few big fish are coming, but you have to hunt every trip.
What is the striper bite like at San Luis Reservoir right now?
Slow and sporadic, rated 3 to 4 out of 10 by Roger George. The lake is in a transition period with the water rising fast and fish on the move. Limits are still possible and a few big stripers are being caught, but it takes work to find them each trip.
Why is the San Luis striper bite so unpredictable?
The water is coming up almost 2 feet a day, up 16 feet in 13 days, which spreads out the bait and scatters the fish. Surface temps dropped from 67 to 68 down to 65 to 66 degrees. Day to day swings in fog and bright sun are also moving the bite around.
Where are the stripers holding at San Luis Reservoir?
Fish are scattered and searching for bait. The rising water is pushing some stripers up toward the shoreline to feed, but they can drop from very shallow to fairly deep quickly. Roger George has been catching fish trolling out in the main lake.
How is Roger George catching San Luis stripers?
He is trolling the main lake and covering water to locate scattered fish. On one bright, sunny day with the water rising almost 2 feet he landed seven or eight fish. Specific lures, colors, and depths were not specified in this report.
What is the outlook for San Luis Reservoir stripers?
Roger George expects the bite to improve once the water level stabilizes, and he would raise his rating then. For now it is a hunt every trip. He has not said when the fast inflow will slow down.
Watch the full report
San Luis Reservoir December 2025 FAQ
Surface temps dropped from 67 to 68 degrees down to 65 to 66 degrees, per Roger George.
About a foot to a foot and a quarter per day, up 16 feet in 13 days, with inflows reaching 12,000 acre-feet on some days.
Roger George rates it about a three to four out of ten during this transition period.
Yes. Limits are possible and a few big fish are being caught, but anglers have to work hard to find them.
They are moving and can go from very shallow to fairly deep quickly, so a set depth was not specified in this report.
He was trolling the main lake, but specific lures and colors were not specified in this report.
