Silverwood Lake

The Finology Advantage at Silverwood Lake

Even though Finology Fishing doesn't launch at Silverwood Lake every day, four decades of on-the-water expertise ensure clients still land fish when visiting:

• Core Freshwater Mechanics: The fundamentals of targeting Southern California gamefish—whether reading structure, tracking thermoclines, or matching seasonal forage—transfer directly to Silverwood’s striped bass, largemouth, and panfish.

• Versatile Technique Mastery: Precision presentations like fishing swimbaits for stripers, drop-shotting rocky points for bass, or fine-tuning live-bait setups work universally across regional reservoirs.

• Adaptable Game Plans: Extensive experience reading changing water conditions, wind patterns, and light levels allows for quick strategy pivots to find feeding fish, regardless of the venue.

• Client-Focused Coaching: The focus remains on teaching client mechanics—boat positioning, lure action, and knot tying—so anglers stay confident in any water column.

 

The Species of Silverwood Lake

Silverwood Lake’s location in the San Bernardino Mountains and its cold-water feeds from the California Aqueduct create a diverse environment supporting both warm-water and cold-water gamefish.

Primary Sportfish

• Striped Bass: Silverwood is famous for its striper population. While fish in the 2- to 5-pound range are most common, trophy specimens over 20 to 30 pounds are regularly pulled from the lake, often gorging on stocked trout and threadfin shad.

• Rainbow Trout: Stocked regularly from late fall through spring by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and DWR. They thrive in the cooler arms like Cleghorn and Miller Canyon and around the marina dock areas.

• Largemouth Bass: Highly popular during the spring spawn, bass can be found holding near submerged structure, brush, and rocky drop-offs in the back ends of coves.

• Channel Catfish: Active primarily in the warmer summer months, catfish hold near rocky points and shallow coves such as Chamise and Cleghorn.

• Crappie (Black & White): Known for cyclical "boom" seasons, crappie gather in large schools around docks, submerged structure, and drop-offs during their spring spawn.

• Bluegill & Redear Sunfish: Plentiful panfish that provide easy action during the summer around shallow weed beds, rocky shorelines, and the marina.

• Common Carp: Inhabit the shallower, mud-bottom sections of the lake and can be targeted year-round.

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Silverwood Lake Geography

Silverwood Lake is a reservoir set at a high transition zone between mountain and high-desert environments in San Bernardino County, California. At an elevation of 3,355 feet on the northern slope of the San Bernardino Mountains within the San Bernardino National Forest, it holds the distinction of being the highest reservoir in the California State Water Project system. This unique elevation places the lake right where dense pine and oak forests transition into dry Mojave chaparral.

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Created in 1971 by impounding the West Fork of the Mojave River behind the 249-foot Cedar Springs Dam, the reservoir serves as a critical forebay on the East Branch of the California Aqueduct. At full capacity, it covers roughly 980 surface acres, holds up to 73,000 acre-feet of water, and reaches maximum depths of 166 feet near the dam. Its 13 miles of irregular shoreline are defined by steep underwater drop-offs and major feeder arms like Cleghorn, Miller, and Sawpit Canyons. The surrounding 2,400-acre state recreation area features steep ridgelines crossed by the Pacific Crest Trail, offering panoramic views over the lake's coves and rugged terrain.