Fishing Near Lake Arrowhead: Where You Can Actually Cast
Lake Arrowhead itself: ALA members and registered guests only — the same private-lake rule as swimming. The public fishing within 30 minutes: Lake Gregory (stocked trout and catfish; $15/day county permit plus state license), Green Valley Lake (stocked weekly in season; permits at the lake), Silverwood Lake (stripers and largemouth on a standard state license), and Deep Creek (designated Wild Trout water with special gear rules).
The facts
- Lake Arrowhead
- ALA members & registered guests only, shore or boat
- Lake Gregory (10 min)
- $15/day county fishing permit + CA license (16+); trout & catfish stocked spring–fall
- Green Valley Lake (25 min)
- Stocked weekly May–Oct; day permits sold at the lake (rates on gvlfishing.com)
- Silverwood Lake (30 min)
- CA license; day use $10/vehicle ($20 summer weekends); boat launch $10
- Deep Creek
- Designated Wild Trout water — special gear rules, check current CDFW regs
- State license
- Required age 16+ on public waters — licenses.wildlife.ca.gov
The Lake Arrowhead answer
Fishing on Lake Arrowhead — shore or boat — is limited to Arrowhead Lake Association members and their registered guests, exactly like swimming and boating. There is no public pier, no day permit, no workaround; the practical route is knowing a member. The full picture of who gets on the water is in the lake access guide. The good news is that the public alternatives nearby are genuinely good, and two of them are stocked all season.
Lake Gregory: the easy stocked option (10 min)
Lake Gregory in Crestline is the workhorse: open for fishing daily, sunrise to sunset, year-round, with a flat $15/day San Bernardino County fishing permit on top of a state license (required 16+). The stocking program is real — in 2026 the lake took Calaveras trout plants in May and monthly catfish plants of 1,000–1,500 lbs from June into September. Personal boat launch runs $10/day and rental boats $15–20/hour. Beach-season crowds don't much affect the anglers' corners, and parking is its own subject.
Green Valley Lake: the little stocked lake (25 min)
Tiny, high (about 7,000 ft), and quietly serious about its fishing: Green Valley Lake is stocked weekly from May into October with trout from CDFW and private Eastern Sierra hatcheries. Day fishing permits are sold at the lake, and — same story as its swim passes — current rates aren't reliably published online, so check gvlfishing.com or call (909) 867-2912 for rates and license requirements before the drive. Rowboat rentals in season. Pair it with a night at the campground a mile up the road.
Silverwood Lake: the big-water option (30 min)
Silverwood is the different animal — a big State Recreation Area reservoir known for striped bass, largemouth, catfish, and planted trout, fished on a standard state license with day use at $10/vehicle ($20 on summer weekends and holidays) and a $10 boat launch. One honest caveat while the current algal-bloom advisory stands: bloom advisories come with posted guidance about handling and eating fish — read the signs at the lake and follow them, even though fishing itself typically remains open when swimming closes.
Deep Creek: the wild-trout stream
Deep Creek is a state-designated Wild Trout stream — wild browns and rainbows in a desert-canyon setting, no stocking trucks involved. Special regulations apply on the wild-trout water: artificial lures and flies with barbless hooks and reduced limits, with exact section boundaries defined in the current CDFW inland fishing regulations — verify them before you go, because the rules differ along the creek. Access is the same story as the hot springs: a real hike in and out, with all the same heat and water-safety warnings. This is the area's one genuine fly-fishing destination.
Licenses, briefly
California requires a fishing license at age 16 and up on public waters — buy online at licenses.wildlife.ca.gov (day and annual versions; prices change yearly, so we don't quote them). Note the local wrinkle: Lake Gregory requires the county's $15/day permit in addition to the state license, and privately operated Green Valley Lake sets its own permit rules — confirm what you need at each lake rather than assuming one license covers all.
Frequently asked questions
Can you fish in Lake Arrowhead?
Only as an Arrowhead Lake Association member or a member's registered guest — there's no public fishing permit or pier. The nearest public fishing is Lake Gregory, 10 minutes away in Crestline.
Do you need a license to fish Lake Gregory?
Two things: a California fishing license if you're 16 or older, plus the flat $15/day San Bernardino County fishing permit that all county regional parks charge. Fishing is open sunrise to sunset daily, year-round.
Where is the best trout fishing near Lake Arrowhead?
For stocked fish: Lake Gregory (trout plants in spring, catfish through summer) and Green Valley Lake (stocked weekly May–October). For wild fish: Deep Creek, a designated Wild Trout stream with barbless-artificials rules — the area's real fly-fishing water.
Where can kids fish near Lake Arrowhead?
Lake Gregory and Green Valley Lake are the kid picks — shore access is easy, stocking keeps catch rates honest, and under-16s fish without a state license (day-permit fees still apply). Green Valley Lake is the calmer of the two.
What are the fishing rules on Deep Creek?
The wild-trout sections require artificial lures or flies with barbless hooks and carry reduced limits; exact boundaries and limits are set in the current CDFW inland regulations, so check them before your trip. Getting there is a genuine hike — read the Deep Creek trail guide first.
Facts on this page last verified July 17, 2026. Fees, hours, and access rules change seasonally — confirm with the official source before a long drive.