Photo courtesy of Bob Pharoah.

Miramar, Poway and Wohlford lakes have one thing in common: They kick out some monster trout and offer constant action this time of year.

bout this time every winter, Sierra trout fishermen just can’t stand it any longer and begin looking for some place to fish. Though they may be frozen out of the high country, this is when the lakes to the south in San Diego County are just beginning to heat up.

With more than 20 lakes in the county, there are plenty of places for anglers to get their winter trout fix.

But just which ones are the best, according to the fishermen who really know these waters?

In many interviews, the top three lakes that kept popping up were Miramar Lake, Poway Lake and Lake Wohlford.

These three lakes offer varieties of fishing conditions, but have one thing in common: They kick out some monster fish and offer constant action during the prime winter months.

MIRAMAR LAKE: AN URBAN OASIS
San Diego City Lakes Department operates Miramar Lake, an urban oasis. It’s just east of Interstate 15, north of the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. Miramar Lake is a clear-water reservoir that covers about 160 surface acres. The trout record here stands at 15 pounds, 8 ounces.

Lake Ranger Gary Goins said two factors make this a top trout lake:

1)Clear water that bubbles into the lake at a place known as Mo’s Hole along the south shoreline, and

2)Hatchery trout brought in from Nebraska.

OK, it’s no secret, but Mo’s Hole is one of the trout hotspots at Miramar, if you can manage to squeeze in during the hot bites. In the winter months, boaters, tubers and shore-anglers find this a trout gloryhole. This will be the second winter that trout from the Chaulk Mound Hatchery in Bridgeport, Neb., have been stocked at Miramar. Lakes Supervisor Joe Weber said 20,400 pounds would be put into the lake from about December through March.

The lake is open from sunrise to sunset daily for fishing and private-boat launch. Boat rentals are available Saturday through Tuesday.

Flyfisherman Bob Pharoah rates Miramar as the No. 1 winter trout lake in the county, and says the Nebraska fish are one of the big reasons.

“The fish they put in at Miramar are large, aggressive and colorful,” said Pharoah, who’s found February and March to be peak times at the lake.

Paul Woolery said tubers should drag “some form of Woolly Bugger” while drifting east with the wind from the lake buoy line.

“You can count on picking up one every few minutes fishing Miramar that way,” he said.

Fly-casters who fish Miramar are having the best success on a bugger known as “Paul’s Special,” that was designed by San Diego Fly Fishers Club member Paul Britting. The fly is a typical Woolly Bugger pattern, but has some orange in the tail.

Can you think of a better name for a fisherman than Lucky Ketcham? While kicking around Miramar last March, Ketcham used the Paul’s Special to nail a beautiful 8-pound Nebraska trout. Britting fished the same day, and by 2 p.m. had caught and released 25 of the beautiful green-backed trout with the pink sides. Each was more than 15 inches, and some measured up to 21.