SoCal fishing and camping

hey guys! Always looking for new places to camp!

Any ideas of where we can go camping and fishing?

With the rtt and all I’d like to be able to walk to the water and fish.

Any campsites you guys have been to? Yellow post? Blm land?

If you have pictures that would be awesome!?

Thanks in advance!

 

Thanks guys

 

give it a few I just got back from doing exactly what your looking to do and it took a lot of time to find out where to go because everyone is so very reluctant to give up anything about those kind of places or they really don't know of them. It took me nearly 2 month of research and questioning to find the places I went in Utah... go to Overland Bound website and Join it it will be well worth your time and there you will find many of those places listed and members from your area that take others to those locations. Good Luck! Overlandbound Dot Com

 

Hey thanks!

 

Hit 395 and go north
Unlimited camping off road and trout fishing opportunities

 

Seconded for the 395 trips. There is endless opportunity out there and tons of places to hit up. Basically any of the creeks that flows off the mountains toward the valley are worth it for small, beautiful trout. Check out this guide from the Inyo NF. Super helpful and a great place to get an overview of it all.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd550643.pdf

I'm down in San Diego so its a bit of a trek but worth it.
Down here the Cleveland NF has some great spots to trek and hike, but it lacks the fishing.

 

And a Coyote Flats trip is a must do/bucket list (although it does not meet your fishing criteria)

 

Hey thanks! I’ll be looking into that.

Still not totally sure where we’ll go exploring for Labor Day but I’ve been doing some research

 

395 is NOT SoCal

 

I was hoping for something much more south or within hour/hour and a half but those tips will definitely be for some of my future trips.

 

Lots of lakes and fishing in the San Gabriel mountains, also a lot of campgrounds back there but they are all developed campgrounds meaning you need a permit/reservation. Same with Big Bear and the Lake Arrowhead areas

If you want dispersed remote camping I think the 395 headed north is your best bet like mentioned earlier.

 

From what I’ve been looking at I would agree. I’ve realized San Bernardino NF is no fires whatsoever in dispersed camping. So that ruins it for me haha gotta have those nightly camp fires.

I’ll be doing more research on the 395 for sure. I just didn’t want to travel that far on a holiday weekend but oh well.

 

Yah that's the other thing, many camp grounds in SoCal have banned fires unless it's a developed camp site with a campground attendant on site 24/7. I know that's how Big Bear is right now, only 2 camp grounds up there allow fires. No fires what so ever if you're dispersed camping in the area.

The desert you can have camp fires but then your limited on fishing opportunities of course.

If you head up the 395 to dispersed camp with a camp fire make sure you have your CA camp fire permit. You can print it out online and it's stupid easy to get, jar have to watch a small video and answer a few easy questions. But if you get caught with a fire and without a permit you will get hit with a big fine

 

@Brewster52 Are you leaving from the LA area, OC, Inland Empire, San Diego? I might have some more ideas based on your location.

 

Yea that’s too bad. I’ve been camping in cal city for dirt bike season.

I do have my fire permit though, we went to a yellow post in Idyllwild that required it. Not sure if or when it expires, should probably check into that haha

 

I’m in inland empire

 

As others have said, 395 is the place to find what your looking for. SoCal is just was to over populated for free camping and fishing. Not may fishing holes over here. Big Bear would be the closest.

My other suggestion would be Kern River. I've had luck fishing that area and there's open camping in the back country. Some nice trails too. You would have to check on the fire regulation at the time tour going. It's close enough to make a nice 2-3 day trip.
Good luck and let us know where you end up.