Problem is, "best" is a relative term....what someone may consider the 'best' lake, can be different from what others consider the 'best' lake. Case in point? I've focused on Lake Cachuma the past 2 months, and have had some awesome fishing. I also know guys who have gone out and not gotten a bite. Those same guys have found a good pattern at Castaic the past few weeks, yet I can't get a bite (from shore.)
Another thing is that bites and patterns, especially in our pressured bodies of water, change by the day, and even by the hour. It takes a lot of effort and time on the water for people to dial down successful patterns.
A good method of doing some research is also searching within the message boards. I saw that you asked for tips on Castaic on another thread. Look into the Castaic reports section and filter it by date, peruse reports for this time of year for years past, and you'll get a good idea of what the fishery does that time of year, and you can replicate your approach based on that.
A general tip for all these lakes and if you're targeting bass? Take a spinning rod (6#) and drop shot main points. Take a baitcasting rod and fly line a 4" Senko in natural colors. Between those two outfits, you'll bound to get into something.