Fishing

What you need

A California fishing license. Anyone 16 or older needs a valid California sport fishing license to fish anywhere here, and it has to be on you while you fish (you don’t have to wear it). An annual license runs 365 days from the day you buy it, and there are one-day and two-day licenses for a weekend visit. Buy one online from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, from a license agent, or at the Lake Hemet Market. The department’s site has current prices.

A parking pass at the forest sites. Lake Fulmor, Fuller Mill Creek and the Forest Service’s day-use area at Lake Hemet need an Adventure Pass or an interagency pass on the dashboard. Buy it before you arrive, at the ranger station in the village, from local vendors, or on Recreation.gov; the Forest Service’s Adventure Pass page has current prices.

Lake Hemet’s own fees, if you fish from its campground or on the water (see Lake Hemet, below).

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife publishes a fish planting schedule, updated by hatchery staff as they stock. Check it before you go: it’s the best way to know when the trout went in.

Lake Hemet

Lake Hemet sits on Highway 74 southeast of town, at 56570 Highway 74 in Mountain Center. It’s owned by the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District and run by a concessionaire, Lake Hemet Recreation Company. Lake Hemet sets its own fees, limits and boating rules, and posts them on its site.

What’s in it. Trout, bass, bluegill and catfish. Trout is the only fish the lake stocks itself, buying its own from Mount Lassen, and the stocking season usually runs from November through May, which makes the cool months the time to go for trout. The Forest Service notes that the state may plant rainbow trout too.

Fees and rules. The lake charges its own day-use fee and a separate fishing access fee, and sets its own catch limits and live-bait rules. Two rules that don’t change much: no fishing near the dam, and dogs stay out of the water.

Boats. The marina rents boats and kayaks. Personal boats go in only through the marina, after inspection, and the lake limits which craft it allows.

The Forest Service also runs a small day-use area beside the lake, with picnic tables and shore access, that needs an Adventure Pass rather than the lake’s fees. The picnic and day-use area is off Highway 74 on Hemet Lake Road.

Lake Fulmor

Lake Fulmor is a small lake off Highway 243 about 10 miles north of Idyllwild, at 5,400 feet, in the national forest. It’s day use only, and parking needs an Adventure Pass. There’s a fully accessible fishing pier and a trail around the lake. The Forest Service lists no restrooms or drinking water, so bring your own.

The state plants trout in the lake throughout the season; check the planting schedule on the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s site.

Creeks and the river

Strawberry Creek. The creek that runs through the village is listed by the Forest Service as a trout stream, where the state may plant rainbow trout, mainly in spring. It crosses under Highway 243 just south of town. Much of the creek runs past private land, including the community pathway, whose rules don’t mention fishing. Fish only where you have public access or the owner’s permission.

Fuller Mill Creek. Off Highway 243 north of town, with a picnic area that needs an Adventure Pass. For much of the year a Forest Order closes the banks to protect the mountain yellow-legged frog, so check the Fuller Mill Creek page for the current closure before you fish it.

South Fork of the San Jacinto River. The South Fork Trail drops 4.5 miles from Highway 74 west of Mountain Center to the river, and the Forest Service lists it as the way in for fishing. It’s in the South Fork San Jacinto Wilderness now, so wilderness rules apply. [VERIFY: whether the trail needs a wilderness permit]

Whatever you fish, pack out your line, hooks and bait containers. Fishing line left on a bank is a trap for birds.