California Aqueduct Fishing Maps and Access Points

The California aqueduct is an underrated fishery that offers excellent fishing opportunity at one of its 16 access points. It can be up to 30 feet deep in some locations and supports abundant fish species including striped bass, largemouths, catfish and even some crappie.

Each of the following maps includes a link to the specific access point on Google Maps for each California Aqueduct fishing site. I’ve thoroughly researched each site, so rest assured you can count on the accuracy of each access point. Just plug the location into your phone or GPS and you’re on your way.

I haven’t fished the entire aqueduct but the few spots I have fished were surprisingly productive—especially for bass.

The bass tend to be larger than what you’d expect from a man-made waterway as well. Catching a keeper-sized fish isn’t guaranteed, but very likely.

Spots to target when fishing the aqueduct

Bass—largemouths and stripers—are the most popular catches on the aqueduct with stripers being the most abundant and targeted. Below I’ll explore a few of the best spots for targeting stripers, regardless of location.

Fish the gates as much as possible. Stripers often hold behind the gates where the flowing water is highly oxygenated and the current supplies stripers with a good supply of food.

Anywhere where the walls of the aqueduct are steep there’s likely to be bait fish, and where there’s bait fish you’ll find bass—especially stripers. If you don’t have success along the walls you can also try the check gates.

We don’t want to forget the bridges. Bridges—especially bridge pylons—provide cover for bait fish which attract hungry bass. Fishing the pylons can be a productive strategy.

Fishing pylons during the earlier morning or late afternoon is when bait fish are most active and you’re chance of hooking stripers are best. A strategically place jerkbait, popper or jig usually does the trick.

During the heat of the day, bridges also produce shade where lidless stripers will often hide from the sun. Hit the shadows during summer months when the sun is at its brightest.

If you’ve spent much time on the aqueduct you’re probably familiar with the occasional grates and cutouts. They’re used for irrigation by farmers, but they’re also a magnet for smaller bait fish and tend to attract feeding bass. Stripers in particular are often found inside cutouts waiting to ambush their next meal.

Irrigation pipes along the aqueduct provide another opportunity for targeting bass. As these pipes pump water out of the aqueduct, stripers will often be close by waiting to ambush any small fish or insects that are caught in the current.

Bass like to relate to cover, so when it’s available, that’s where I like to target, but much of the aqueduct is just open water. You’ll also find bass in many of the open water areas along the aqueduct.