All over the Southland, lakes and streams that have been too cold to fish properly now are waking up from a winter's sleep.

Big-bellied planters are a blast to catch. While the state is reducing the number of streams it plants, most Southern California anglers won't notice the difference. Photo by Richard Alden Bean.

In lower altitude waters, the put-and-take trout stocking is beginning to slow. Many are switching to stocking catfish, but at the higher elevations, the fun for trout anglers is just beginning.

SAN DIEGO AREA
Mountain lakes that have good trout-fishing action south of the Sierra are few in number, but they are close to home.

Lake Cuyamaca
Down in San Diego County, think about a day trip to Lake Cuyamaca in the Cleveland National Forest near the mountain town of Julian. This small reservoir is operated by a local water district and gets regular stocking of trout through the summer.

Because it is set in a beautiful pine forest at 4,700 feet, Cuyamaca is ideal for a spring day get-away. At only 110 surface acres, it's usually jammed full of feisty trout stocked every week. In addition to the trout, it has excellent crappie and largemouth bass angling as well.

The various baits and lures that work for trout anywhere will all catch fish at Cuyamaca, but anglers might consider making sure they have a good supply of tiny crappie jigs on hand. These tiny lures will catch the trout as well as crappie.

Cuyamaca is also a fine fly-fishing lake, and members of the San Diego Flyfishers can be found float-tube fishing there most Wednesdays. To avoid conflicts with boats, float-tube fishing is only allowed on weekdays and the last three hours of weekends and holidays. For more information on Cuyamaca, call the lake office at (877) 581-9904, or check out their Web site at www.lakecuyamaca.org.

Lake Morena
Another mountain lake with plenty of trout action is Lake Morena. Situated well to the southeast of San Diego near the border community of Campo, Morena is a much larger water than Cuyamaca. It has miles of rocky shoreline that hold plenty of game fish, such as trout, bass and panfish.

A part of the San Diego County park system, Morena has good camping facilities, boat launch and a nearby store. For more info, check with the San Diego County Parks at www.sd county.ca.gov/parks/html.

Lake Hemet
In Riverside County, Lake Hemet, high on Mount San Jacinto, is a great place for a day or two of spring trout fishing. The lake has a very large campground, plus it's close to motels and other services in the mountain town of Idyllwild. In addition to launching a boat, there is a large section of public-access land on the north shore for anglers who just want to fish from the bank. You'll need a Forest Service Adventure Pass to park.

Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino National Forest is another great lake for anglers from Southern California. A very large lake, it is several miles long and is set in a wide valley that contains three small communities. Much of the shore on the north side of the lake is easily accessible by the public, and there are two large public ramps as well as several private ramps at local marinas.

Trout fishing at Big Bear is big business, and each May, the communities host the Trout Classic where huge fish are stocked for the pleasure of anglers.