Raljon Lake

Raljon Lake is a reservoir in Kern County, California and covers about 4.7 acres, reaches about 18.5 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 37.3 acre-feet.

Raljon Lake is small water, so a careful lap around the bank can show most of the useful cover.

Fish and Baits

Fish listed for Raljon Lake include Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, and Sacramento Sucker.

The first bluegill pass on Raljon Lake should use a small jig, worm, or tiny plastic around green weeds and protected pockets.

A useful largemouth bass plan on Raljon Lake is to work a soft plastic, jig, or spinnerbait around weeds and protected cover.

Start the channel catfish search on Raljon Lake by trying to fish cut bait or a nightcrawler on the bottom along a channel edge or warm flat.

Start the common carp search on Raljon Lake by trying to place corn or a dough bait on the bottom along a shallow flat.

How to Read the Water

Make one shallow pass and one deeper pass on the same shoreline; that shows whether fish are tight to cover or using the first break; look for a clean edge beside cover, then follow bait before changing areas.

Season by Season

Early in the year, protected water and the first warm afternoon can be the best clues; as the water heats up, check deeper edges without assuming every fish is on the bottom; cooling fall water often makes points and firm banks useful again; start beside deeper water, then watch for food before choosing lure depth.

A Simple Tackle Plan

A medium spinning rod, 8-pound line, a small box of jigs, a few crankbaits, and a simple bottom rig cover most situations; change depth or speed before changing every piece of tackle; work an old channel turn, then keep one slow bait ready.

Record the wind, water color, depth beside the clean edge, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce; try firm bottom before soft silt, then work the bottom where the bank turns steep.