Upper Van Norman Lake is a reservoir in California, near Los Angeles County.
Upper Van Norman Lake is a reservoir in Los Angeles County, California and covers about 66.8 acres, reaches about 37.9 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 1,848 acre-feet.
Upper Van Norman Lake is compact enough to fish slowly, but a change in weeds or bottom can still split it into separate patterns.
Fish listed for Upper Van Norman Lake include Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Redear Sunfish, and Rainbow Trout.
The first black crappie pass on Upper Van Norman Lake should fish a small jig or minnow around wood, weeds, and sharp little drops.
A useful bluegill plan on Upper Van Norman Lake is to use a small jig, worm, or tiny plastic around green weeds and protected pockets.
Start the largemouth bass search on Upper Van Norman Lake by trying to work a soft plastic, jig, or spinnerbait around weeds and protected cover.
One direct channel catfish tactic on Upper Van Norman Lake is to fish cut bait or a nightcrawler on the bottom along a channel edge or warm flat.
Other targets listed here include Rainbow Trout, and Common Carp; give each one its own bait and depth instead of trying to catch everything with the same rig; check the coolest inflow, then separate open-water fish from bank fish.
Start where two things meet: weeds and open water, rock and mud, a point and a drop, or clear water and dirty water; fish that edge at more than one depth before leaving it; keep a bottom rig ready for low light, then pause longer when cold water slows the bite.
Spring runoff can add color and pull fish toward fresh water; green weeds and the first drop become stronger summer targets; in fall, follow bait toward points and shallow flats, while winter rewards a slower search; check the clean side of wind, then look for a second bite before leaving.
A light spinning rod, thin line, a few small spoons, inline spinners, and jigs cover the listed trout; carry one slightly heavier setup when other fish or windy water call for more control; check the first shelf outside shallow cover; pause the bait on each small drop, then let two bites set the useful depth.
Record the wind, water color, depth where fish were holding, 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; check a protected pocket after sunrise, then compare shallow and deeper water.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.