Lake Wohlford is located north of San Diego near the city of Escondido. From Int. 15, exit Valley Parkway East to Wohlford Lake Rd. Turn right and follow the hill up to the lake.

General Info:

    This is a small lake of approx. 146 surface acres at capacity. It is open seven days a week from mid-December through the weekend after Labor Day in September. Lake Wohlford is open Saturdays and Sundays only from the weekend after Labor Day until mid-December. Fishing hours are 6:00 a.m. to dusk. There is a lake store/cafe for tackle and supplies. No swimming / body-contact with the water allowed. No pets or fires allowed. Park Ranger - (760) 839-4346 Wohlford Lake Website

Boating Info:

In order to protect Wohlford from invasive exotic Quagga mussels, there is still a temporary ban on private water craft and equipment that could have been exposed to mussels. Restricted equipment includes private boats, canoes, kayaks, float tubes, trolling motors, fish finders, anchors and other equipment that contacts the water.

    There is a one-lane launch ramp located at the entrance. Launch fee is $4. Boats must be over 10ft but not over 20ft. Float-tubing is permitted. Rowboats and gasoline-powered fishing boats are available for rent. Prices are as follows:
*Rowboat - $17       ½ day Rowboat - $14
*Motorboat - $35       ½ day Motorboat - $30
*Maximum Rental Boat capacity is 5 persons.

Fishing Info:

    This is a smaller lake but offers some fine fishing for it's size. Rainbow trout are stocked during the winter and spring months by DFG and county hatcheries. Channel catfish are stocked during the summer. There are also some BIG bass, crappie and bluegill in the lake. No swimming/skiing is allowed which makes this a nice lake to fish. A California fishing license and fishing permit are required for fishing. Permit fees are as follows:
Adults: $7
Seniors $5
Youth 8- 15 yrs. $5
Under 8 are free but any fish caught counts towards limit of paying adult. Be sure to visit the CDFW web site for complete regulations before heading out.

Bass - 19 pounds, 3 oz. by Steve Beasley of Vista, Ca. Caught on Feb. 3, 1986 using a golden shiner at Bass Point.

Trout - 16 pounds, 4 oz. by Alan Vietor. Caught Jan. 30, 1999 using green Powerbait.

Catfish - 27 pounds by Al Linares of Valley Center, CA. Caught Aug. 30, 1967 using cheese.

Crappie - 3 pounds, 8 oz. by Delbert Carter of Pico Rivera, Ca. Caught April 12, 1982 using a crawdad.

Bluegill - 1 pound, 4 oz. by Donna Bartels of Woodland Hills, Ca. Caught May 22, 1983 using a meal worm.

Read and Post Wohlford Lake Fishing Reports Here

Comments and Tips:

  Like many of the smaller trout-stocked lakes in San Diego county, Wohlford has a reputation of producing some record-sized largemouth bass. Several 10+ bucketmouths have been posted here. Using soft-plastic trout imitation lures is a good method to entice one of these hogs into biting.

   If you know something about this area or have some photos that you'd like to share, please E-mail and I'll post it here!