In addition to the small size, one of Poway’s startling statistics is its depth, which reaches down to 120 feet. Trout are fatty and full of protein and cause largemouth bass to grow to sizes much larger than can be attained on lakes that don’t have trout. The bass grow to immense sizes because the lake is regularly stocked with rainbow trout, which are targeted by the locals, but also are the major part of the diet of a largemouth bass. Catfish are plentiful and healthy in size. Poway is only 64, and about a third of that is closed off because of the water draw-down apparatus.īelieve it or not, this “pothole on steroids” has no catch-and-release program.

Can you believe that? Crystal Lake is more than 200 acres. The lake is an amazingly tiny 64 acres in size. They don’t want suntan lotion or body oils in the water they consume. There were even signs posted telling the public to not wade into the water at all. It makes sense because Poway is the source of drinking water for towns in the surrounding area. Poway’s water is as clear as any I’ve ever seen.

The first things that caught my eye were the signs that alerted “Warning – Watch for Rattlesnakes!” I prefer my fishing trips to be rattler-free. I talked our friends into giving me a ride to Lake Poway. How can trophy fishing exist in this climate? To boot, we’ve all heard about the devastating water shortages. It’s hot and dry and the perfect place for all the runaway blazes that torment the area.

Turn on the news and you will likely see a story about wildfires running rampant in southern California. The thing that I found amazing was that 20 of the 25 biggest bass ever landed came from what virtually is the desert. The story went viral on the web, and Long’s reputation as a worldwide big-bass specialist was destroyed. Poway was where bass legend Mike Long was photographed allegedly snagging huge bass, which is, of course, illegal. I noticed on a map that we were minutes away from Lake Poway. As I was writing last week, we were visiting friends in San Diego.

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