San Luis Reservoir Fishing Report | October 2025
The report at a glance
Depth
Trolling the 50 to 70 foot range has been most productive.
Presentation
Troll 5 to 6 inch lures 100 to 120 feet behind the boat at about 2.2 mph. Speed up your retrieve or work plugs and jigs faster, since stripers are chasing faster baits right now.
Lures and baits
Rapalas (5 to 6 inch)
Lucky Crafts
Smithwicks
Missouri minnows
Water level
Stabilized near 50 percent capacity, about 1,100,000 acre-feet, with steady inflow.
Advice for this week
Fish the days just before the full moon and match the faster bait speed. This lake is huge and complex, so structure and depth control matter.
Next week
The bite should stay slow through the full moon week, then improve as the moon phase passes.
Striper fishing at San Luis Reservoir is slow through the October 2025 full moon and likely stays that way for the rest of the week. The lake is stable near 50 percent, about 1.1 million acre-feet. Troll the 50 to 70 foot range at about 2.2 mph with 5 to 6 inch plugs run 100 to 120 feet behind the boat. Stripers are chasing faster baits right now, so speed your presentation up.
What is biting at San Luis Reservoir right now?
Striped bass are the target and the bite is fairly slow, tied to the full moon. Capt. Roger George expects it to stay slow for the rest of the week. The lake has stabilized near 50 percent capacity, roughly 1.1 million acre-feet, with steady inflow helping pattern the fish.
What depth are stripers holding at San Luis Reservoir?
Troll the 50, 60, and 70 foot range, which has been most productive. Run your lures 100 to 120 feet behind the boat at about 2.2 mph. Stable water levels and settling temperatures are helping keep the fish patterned in that band right now.
What lures are working for San Luis stripers?
Run 5 to 6 inch plugs such as Rapala, Lucky Craft, Smithwick, and Yo-Zuri baits, plus Missouri minnows, 100 to 120 feet back at 2.2 mph. Catch America does not carry these plugs, so match the size and profile from your own box. Speeding up the retrieve is paying off.
How should I present baits for stripers right now?
Work plugs and jigs faster than usual. Roger George says the stripers are chasing everything, so match that faster action and speed your presentation up. Keep baits 100 to 120 feet behind the boat around 2.2 mph in the 50 to 70 foot zone.
When is the best striper bite around the full moon?
The best window is three to four days before a full moon, and the day of the full moon can be good too. The days right after tend to slow down, since the stripers have fed and sit suspended for a couple of days. Fish the front side of the moon.
Watch the full report
San Luis Reservoir October 2025 FAQ
A full moon phase is slowing the bite, and Roger George expects it to stay slow for the rest of the week. Stripers tend to feed hard before the full moon and then sit suspended for a couple of days after.
The lake is right around 1.1 million acre-feet, about 50 percent capacity, and starting to stabilize with only a couple of inches of change per day, which helps pattern the fish.
About 2.2 mph, with lures run 100 to 120 feet behind the boat. Roger George also suggests working plugs and jigs faster right now, since the stripers are chasing faster baits.
The 50, 60, and 70 foot range has been most productive this week.
Five to six inch plugs like Rapala, Lucky Craft, Smithwick, and Yo-Zuri, plus Missouri minnows. These are not Catch America products, so match the profile from your own gear.
Three to four days before the full moon, and often the day of the full moon. The days after usually fish poorly for stripers.
Capt. Roger George of Roger George Guide Service, the exclusive State Park guide at San Luis, with over 12 years on the lake targeting trophy stripers.
