The 2023 fishing season has started to ramp up as Lake Isabella begins rainbow trout stocking through March. Fishermen are coming from all around for a delectable and fun fighting trophy to release back into the lake or take home for a savory meal. Lake Isabella’s boathouse is full of all your necessary trout fishing needs, including live bait options and various tasty lures.

The cold front has the trout fired up and eating a mixture of Powerbait, natural-colored spoons, and minnows. Some anglers might even share their secrets for an almost guaranteed catch if you’re lucky.

After purchasing a fishing ticket in the boathouse, anglers may keep up to four trout per ticket. Some take trout home to grill with olive oil and seasonings or a honey mixture for a sweeter approach; others will freeze the trout and use it as bait for bigger catches.

The excitement of trout in the lake has also brought the heavy-weight catfish out of their winter slumber. In the past couple of weeks, many anglers have been lucky enough to pull in blue and flathead catfish weighing over 30 or even 50 pounds! Limits are being filled, and spirits are high for the remainder of the trout season.

Every Friday through April 7th, the fish truck will be delivering trout. Test your luck at Lake Isabella and see what lies at the end of the rainbow. 

Also, the 2023 Great Parks Tournament Series kickoff is just around the corner. The first tournament of the year is a new addition to the previous two circuits. On March 25th at 8 a.m., Lake Isabella will offer a low-cost opportunity to take your competitive fishing side to a new level with a panfish team tournament series. Anglers of all ages are welcome to come out and fish for five hours. At the end of the tournament, anglers will weigh their haul of the designated panfish species. The team with the highest total weight of fish will win sponsored prizes.

For more information about the rules and regulations of each tournament series, please visit our fishing page through greatparks.org or visit one of our local boathouses, where the friendly staff can help answer your tournament questions.

I look forward to meeting all new anglers and growing the sport of competitive fishing. 

Tommy Bayer, Tournament Director