Lexington Reservoir
17770 Alma Bridge Rd, Los Gatos CA
Phone: (408) 356-2729

Rating:

Map: Mapquest Map

Size: 475 acres

Water Level: SCVWD REPORT

Depth: Appx 100'

Species: trout(stocked), largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, carp

Fees: $4 to park in the lot, launch fee

Boating: electric-powered boats

Pros: good trout fishing, good kastmaster bite, big crappie, bass bite can be wide open, good structure

Cons: draw downs, windy, bass bite inconsistent

Description: Note: This lake has been closed to night fishing until further notice.

It's a good sized reservoir, although it can get quite low during the dry months. It gets so low that sometimes I wonder if any fish can survive it. But they do. There is a good mix of cover at Lexington. Lots and lots of rocky points. Some stump fields and brush. Even some weedbeds some years. No tules. Shoreline access is very good all around. One might consider boots while shore fishing some areas. It can get extremely muddy along the shoreline and you're feet can literally sink into the clay mud while fishing.

The Fish: Largemouth Bass: This is the main attraction of Lexington for me. Larger and more plentiful bass than Stevens Creek Reservoir. Fishing for them can be often frustrating, though. This is especially true when they start chasing open water schools of shad. There are shad and a huge population of crawdads here.

The bass at Lexington generally aren't picky. But I've done best with worms and jigs. For the shad, try Rat-L-Traps and spinnerbaits. Burning small 1/4 oz traps is effective for large numbers of fish. The water is muddy more often than not so rattles are a good investment.

Crappie: What they don't do in numbers, they make up in size. They come over a pound on good days and are often over two. They're hard to find though. Mostly found by accident while fishing for bass.

Since they're a big larger than most, I will sometimes use a 3 inch grub instead of my standard 2 inch. I also go up to a 1/16 or 1/8 oz jighead. Hang on tight with these things. Often a good sized bass will inhale the little grub. And if you're using good light tackle he'll give you the fight of a lifetime.

Rainbow Trout: Trout fishing is excellent here April through June, when it is heavily stocked. A popular spot is the Dam. This can be a frustrating spot to fish however, due to the very shallow water and large amount of snags. The spillway area was especially good this spring. The area by the boat launch and also by the picnic area has a lot of trout and is also significantly deeper. This is also a great lake to troll for trout at. Try a straight kastmaster or small flashers with a needlefish.

Other: There is a huge population of bluegills here. The backs of coves with a worm and bobber will not fail. There must be some catfish and carp in there somewhere. I've never seen one.

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