By Paul LebowitzLonely coyotes were singing in the distant darkness as Kent Arthur and the boys of his Scout Troop clustered around their bright campfire at the Lake Skinner Recreation Area. The dancing flames were just the ticket for keeping the winter chill at bay. Arthur, who hails from Winchester, was explaining why his group keeps coming back to the lakeside campground not far from Temecula. “The facilities are nice, the price is reasonable, and the location is convenient,” said Arthur, but the spinning outfits leaning against the parked trucks testified that there was more to the story. Was he planning on getting in some fishing? Arthur laughed, and said he and whatever kids he managed to roust from their warm sleeping bags at “oh-dark-thirty” would test the shoreline around launch ramp #2. Sure to his word, that’s where I found him the next day along with his pack of Scouts, bright-eyed and eager to fish despite the early hour. The boys tossed hooks baited with nightcrawlers and Powerbait into the mist-shrouded water and did their best to wait patiently. One pole drew a strike and the boys gathered around the lucky young angler playing tug of war with a trout, cheering him on. The uncooperative fish skipped out of the water and broke the line. No matter. Before long other boys were battling fish. By the time the troop headed off for breakfast, Arthur and his Scouts had managed a handful of rainbow trout and a small striped bass or two. It was just as Arthur had said the previous night. “The trout fishing is ok. Besides, they bring up the striped bass. We rarely catch anything really big but even small stripers are good fighters,” said Arthur. Yes that’s right, striped bass. Lake Skinner is the most southerly suburban California lake to boast a booming population of stripers. Most are on the small side, but a 20-pound or larger whopper is landed from time to time. According to Mike Giusti, the California Department of Fish and Game Associate Fisheries Biologist working to improve Skinner’s fishery, the lake’s average striper weighs two pounds or less. Although these fish are stunted due to over-population, since they are the dominant predators there isn’t much that lake managers can do about the situation. Anglers on the other hand should have no qualms about keeping a limit (10) of these small but tasty fish. The most dependable baits for Skinner’s stripers are chicken livers and anchovies. When the stripers are on the surface aggressively chasing shad, tossing a topwater plug or shiny spoon into the melee is a good bet. Small plastic swimbaits also produce; the color white is a lake favorite. If the fish aren’t showing, try working these baits slowly across and around lake points. Trophy hunters, especially during the winter and spring trout stocking seasons, pitch large, trout pattern baits. Two of the most popular spots to target Skinner’s stripers are the south arm near launch ramp #2 and the inlet at the northwest corner of the main lake. Fish them early and late, when the stripers should be most active. In addition to stripers and stocked trout, Lake Skinner is home to channel catfish (stocked during summer), some bullhead cats, largemouth bass, and bluegill and crappie. Giusti says Skinner’s bass are under appreciated. “Their numbers aren’t high, but the quality is nice. There are plenty of four to five-pounders in there. Also, the bluegill fishing can be very good at times.” Thanks to twice-monthly stocking, trout fishing should be solid through the winter and spring. The final plant of the year will go into the lake on March 31, double the normal shot, just in time for the lake’s big April first trout derby. Like the Scouts, most anglers after trout look for them in the vicinity of launch ramp #2. The Lake Skinner Recreation Area is managed by the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District for its owner, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD). Boaters familiar with MWD’s sparkling new Diamond Valley Reservoir know what that means. MWD imposes strict water quality standards. Body-water contact is prohibited, and a boat inspection system screens out most older two-stroke engines. As far as paddlecraft go, only decked recreational and touring kayaks and non-self-bailing canoes are permitted. A rental fleet of aluminum skiffs and pontoon boats outfitted with four-stroke outboards is available for those who can’t bring their own boats onto the lake. One of Southern California’s Precious Natural Refuges The recreation area sits in the shadow of Bachelor Mountain, nearly surrounded by the Southwestern Riverside County Multi-Species Reserve. In addition to enjoying nightly coyote serenades, park visitors commonly spot mule deer and all manner of rare birds. Eventually a foot trail extending all the way to Diamond Valley Lake will cross the reserve. For now, hikers are limited to the trails that skirt the lake’s extensive shoreline fishing areas. The spacious campground comfortably accommodates everything from tents to luxury motor coaches. Unlike many public campgrounds, this one has partial and full hook-up sites. For those without big rigs, there are two restrooms with hot showers. Kids and their parents will love the new playground and the many grassy lawns perfect for tossing a ball around. Firewood, bait and tackle, other camping sundries, and even gasoline are available at the nearby camp store. Other services include overnight moorings and an RV and boat storage lot. According to Riverside County Park Ranger Bill Evans, the new playground and recently repaved camp roads are only the first of many facilities improvements to come. The marina docks should be replaced soon, and ramp #2, currently open only to paddlecraft, should reopen to private boaters sometime in 2006. Farther in the future, a splash play area should join the existing swimming pond (open summers only). The heart of Temecula wine country is just minutes from the lake down De Portola Road. This proximity makes the lake a natural venue for one of California’s great annual spectacles, the Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival. Campsites sell out early.
TASTY PAN-SIZED STRIPERS – The average Lake Skinner striper is small, 2-pounds or less. DFG Associate Fisheries Biologist Mike Giusti says their diminutive size is due to over-crowding. Give the fish more room to grow by introducing a limit of the small but tasty fish to your frying pan.
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WINTER AND SPRING RAINBOWS – Plenty of rainbows are expected at Lake Skinner through winter and spring. Shore anglers start their trout hunt near the South Arm launch ramp.
CAMPSITES FOR EVERYTHING FROM RVs TO TENTS – The Lake Skinner Recreation Area offers campers fine, spacious sites to pitch that tent or park that deluxe RV. In addition to primitive sites, the park has plentiful partial and full hook-ups for those who like extra comfort with their camping.
ROOM FOR BIG RVs – Lake Skinner has over 258 pull-through and back-in sites with plenty of room for modern, king-sized RVs.
4-STROKES FOR RENT – Lake Skinner is owned by MWD, which permits only the cleanest engines on the lake. Out of luck or no boat? The 4-stroke powered Skinner rental fleet includes pontoons that fish up to ten as well as more typical aluminum skiffs.
SOUTH ARM SCENIC SPLENDOR – Lake Skinner’s narrow south arm is not only beautiful, it is action packed. Whether fishing from a boat or from the shore, it is a popular place for both trout and striped bass.
NICE LINESIDE – Not all Skinner stripers are scrawny. Anglers who pitch large, trout-patterned baits or medium-sized swimbaits land a fair share of quality fish. This three-pounder fell for a white swimbait tossed by Seth Cittel (left), who was joined by his friends Josh Clark and Alex Putney
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