Morena Reservoir, CA

Morena Reservoir is at 3,200 feet, just south of Cleveland National Forest, only seven or eight miles from the California/Mexico border. Because of the altitude, everything gets going a little later in the season than at lakes at lower elevations and closer to San Diego. From April through July, Morena consistently produces bass-small ones, big ones, and medium ones. It's just plain a fish-catching place. The lake has a lot of brush-lined shore and plenty of rocks, and the bass hang amid these areas. Since Morena covers 1,500 surface acres when full and has 26 miles of shoreline, a boat with an electric motor will help you cover all the good spots in a single weekend. The back side of Goat Island used to be a prime spot on the lake, but due to low water levels, the back side has been dry, and there has been no Goat Island since the early 2000s.