Hart Park Lake - Bakersfield, CA

Hart Park Lake, located in East Bakersfield within Alfred Harrell Park, offers a reliable and accessible fishing option year-round for local anglers. Stocked with rainbow trout during cooler months (typically November through April), the lake sees consistent trout fishing action using PowerBait, salmon eggs, and small inline spinners. Shore access is excellent thanks to paved paths, fishing platforms, and multiple open shoreline areas.

As temperatures rise, Hart Park shifts into a productive warmwater fishery. Largemouth bass become active around submerged brush and shade lines, with soft plastics and topwater lures producing well. Bluegill and crappie provide fun and easy action near docks and vegetation edges, especially on worms and small jigs. In the summer, the lake is also stocked with channel catfish, which are most active in the evenings. Anglers use cut bait, chicken liver, or dough bait fished on the bottom.

The park offers family-friendly amenities including picnic areas, playgrounds, restrooms, and day-use shelters, making it an ideal spot for recreational anglers and families alike. Fishing is best early and late in the day to avoid crowds and heat. Hart Park Lake is one of the top managed urban fisheries in Kern County, offering both quantity and variety close to home.