Diamond Valley Marina

Welcome to Diamond Valley Lake

Discover California's greatest fishing at Diamond Valley Lake. Southern California's largest reservoir, is a treasure trove for serious anglers.

Located on the edge of Hemet and within a 90-minute drive of Ventura, Los Angeles, San Diego and the Inland Empire, the new reservoir covers 4,500 acres and has depths from 160 to 260 feet, making it an ideal spot for both coldwater fish, like trout, and those favoring warmer water, such as bass.

Mike Long shows off his
lake record 16.43 lb. largemouth bass
March 16, 2007.

Since 1998, California Department of Fish and Game Biologist Mike Giusti has been cultivating a model, multi-tier fishery here, and early reports suggest that the quantity and size of catches will be staggering. The reservoir has been richly stocked with a variety of popular species.

Black bass, perhaps the favorite quarry of Southern California fishermen, were established with broodstock in a rearing pond, built in what is now the lake bottom. With that head start, the first spawn are now as large as three pounds. Northern and Southern bluegill and redear sunfish were introduced in 1998. Florida largemouth bass were planted in 1999, with smallmouth following in 2000. One hundred thousand subcatchable rainbow trout, planted in 2000, are growing rapidly. Tasty channel catfish and blue catfish, which have grown as large as 100+ pounds in Southern California, are also prevalent. Forage fish include tule perch stocked in 2000, and inland silverside, prickly sculpin, green sunfish and threadfin shad introduced with water as the reservoir has filled.