Big Bear Lake
Fishing and stocking
Trout water; 11 stockings on the 2026 record, spread April to October. A 2,695-acre reservoir, and the most-stocked water on the San Bernardino County record for 2026.
San Bernardino County · California · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 5wk | Trout | catchable | completed | |
| Apr 19wk | Trout | catchable | completed | |
| May 10wk | Trout | catchable | completed | |
| May 24wk | Trout | catchable | completed | |
| Jun 7wk | Trout | catchable | completed | |
| Jun 28wk | Trout | catchable | completed | |
| Jul 12wk | Trout | catchable | completed | |
| Jul 26wk | Trout | catchable | completed | |
| Sep 20wk | Trout | catchable | completed | |
| Sep 27wk | Trout | catchable | completed | |
| Oct 4wk | Trout | catchable | completed |
When to fish Big Bear Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:30-11:30 am and 9:52-11:52 pm | 3:48-4:48 am and 4:02-5:02 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:16 am-12:16 pm and 10:40 pm-12:40 am | 4:52-5:52 am and 4:31-5:31 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 93% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Pacific Time (PDT).
What the record actually says
- Stocked 19 days ago (Oct 4)
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · California fishing forecast
Gear for this water
Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.
For the trout (trout stocked 11 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Ultralight spinning rod | 6 to 7 ft ultralight, 4 lb line; long casts from the bank |
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
| Casting spoons | 1/8 to 1/4 oz in fluorescent or metallic; count down until you find the depth |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Jenks Lake | 6.7 mi | Jul 26 |
| Green Valley Lake | 8.8 mi | Sep 20 |
| Lake Fulmor | 32 mi | Oct 4 |
| Little Lake | 36 mi | Mar 1 |
| Lake Hemet | 43 mi | Oct 4 |
Follow San Bernardino County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule