I’ve been the San Diego area for a few decades and I’ve fished local lakes since I first arrived here, but I wouldn’t think twice about hiring local freshwater fishing guides to put me on fish at these very tough fisheries.

San Diego lakes hold some of the heaviest largemouth bass in the world, but knowing how to fish them and where to catch them can be very challenging to someone who doesn’t know the lakes. There also are giant blue catfish in some lakes and even sturgeon at Lake Cuyamaca. None of the guides listed below mention sturgeon as a target fish, but you might be able to convince them to go try for one at the mountain lake.

Bottom line is that San Diego has a handful of good freshwater fishing guides who can take the guesswork out of fishing these lakes. Most of them offer the latest in fishing gear and lures and know all the latest techniques to catch bass or any fish you might want to target.