Lake Morena County Park, a camping park operated by San Diego County Parks and Recreation, has the additional attraction of offering fishing and boating.
Go directly to our weekly fishing report for Lake Morena.
Lake Morena
Surrounded by thousands of acres of chaparral-covered hills, huge old oak trees, and large rock formations, Lake Morena County Park is the most distant and remote reservoir within the county. Take I-8 east to Buckman Springs Road, head south 4 miles to Oak Drive, then west 3 miles to Lake Morena Dr. and the park entrance. Fishing, boating, sailboarding, and hiking can be enjoyed all year, seven days a week, sunrise to sunset.
Rental boats are available seven days a week and all holidays. On weekends, motorboats are available for $40.00 a day and rowboats are $20.00 a day. Monday through Friday (except holidays), motorboats are $20 a day and rowboats are $10 a day. You may provide your own motor on a rowboat. Boat & Rental Fees for Senior/Disabled: Full day motorboat on weekends is $27.50, on weekdays $7.50; full day rowboat weekends is $16, weekdays $6.00. You must provide your own motor.
The lake use fee for canoes, kayaks, and sailboards is $6.00 per day. Watch for submerged rocks! The speed limit of 10 miles per hour applies to all boats, therefore no waterskiing is allowed. Swimming is not permitted.
Fishing in the spring and summer for bass (record largemouth bass is 19 lbs. 3 oz.), crappie, bluegill, and catfish (record catfish is 31 lbs. 7 oz.) and in the fall and winter for trout (record rainbow is 14 lbs. 12 oz.). Between November and February we plant thousands of pounds of rainbow trout, providing hours of enjoyment for fishermen of all ages.
Fishing fees are as follows:
| | Weekends | Weekdays (Monday through Friday, except holidays) |
| Adults (16 and over) | $5.00 | $3.50 |
| Juniors (8 through 15) | $2.50 | $1.50 |
| Children (7 and under) | free | free |
| Seniors (62 and older) and disabled | $3.50 | $2.00 |
Note: A California Sport Fishing License is required for all anglers 16 years and older (under Section 7145a of the Fish and Game Code).
An information line, 619-478-5473, is changed daily with fishing and camping updates.
Weekly Report for Lake Morena
January 23 - January 30, 2010
Trout: As active hunters, trout seem to be staying ahead of all the anglers -- but some anglers are finding them, and the ones they find are decent. The rains have made the water brown, and the trout are gobbling up night crawlers before anything, according to the angler reports. Anglers have had a rod with power bait and night crawlers, and the night crawlers are winning the battle with five trout to the power bait's zero trout. Jerry Garcia of El Cajon had the big trout of the week at 9 lbs. 10 oz., and Dan Deems of Descanso landed a 5 lb. trout.
Carp: Slow.
Bass: With 46 degree water, the bass are moving slowly and don't want to eat much.
Bluegill: Slow.
Crappie: Slow.
Catfish: Catfish are still moving along and around the rocks, and are willing to swallow a piece of mackerel and chicken liver without hesitation. The lighter line and weight setups are doing better than the heavy line and weight setups. Anglers are saying that if the cats feel any weight at all they will drop the bait and keep swimming.
Note: No open flames are allowed during Red Flag warnings. See this page for latest updates.
Boat launch conditions: Launching private boats from trailers has become unsafe. We have closed the lake to all private boat launches. We deeply regret any inconvenience this causes. Boat rentals are available seven days a week. Kayaks, canoes, car-topper type boats, and float tubes will still be allowed.
Be sure to bring your catch (not bass) in to the ranger station to weigh and record your fish. This helps park staff keep track of the fish population and you may also get your name in the local paper! The maximum creel limit for trout, bass, or catfish is five fish per person. Limits for crappie and bluegill are 25 per angler. There is no “catch and release” of trout. Bass must be at least 12 inches long to keep.
The lake is open daily for fishing and boating. Park hours for fishing and day use are sunrise to sunset. No swimming at Lake Morena County Park. Motorboats and rowboats are available seven days a week. Motorboats rent for $40 on weekends, $20 weekdays except holidays; rowboats are $20 weekends, $10 during the week. Boats sell out quickly on weekends. No reservations are taken on boats.
For daily fishing updates, call Lake Morena's recorded fishing line at (619) 478-5473. A California Sport Fishing License (not sold at the park) is required for all anglers 16 years and older (under Section 7145a of the Fish and Game Code), in addition to the lake's daily fishing permit, which is available at the ranger station.
If you are planning to camp with us in the near future, be sure to make your reservations early. Our toll free reservation number, 1-877-565-3600 (858-565-3600 local), is answered Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The folks at the reservation desk would be glad to help you. Our on-line reservation system allows you to make camping reservations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Go to this page to get started.
South Shore Campground: Reservations are recommended for camping at the main campground of the South Shore. This campground offers partial hookup sites (water and electric), as well as several developed sites. The main restroom offers hot showers and flush toilets, and is handicapped accessible.
The dump station is currently closed. Please use the Buckman Springs rest area.
North Shore Primitive Campground: This campground is closed until further notice because of the lake’s low water level.
