General Info:

    The lake consists of 1,200 surface acres and is open 7 days a week from sunup to sunset. Entrance fee is $5 per car. Camping is available and there is a lake store that is well supplied for your needs.

Other lakes in the area:
Diamond Valley Res.
Perris Lake
Hemet Lake
Anglers Lake

Boating Info:

    There is a nice launch ramp available for $6 per launch. Only boats with four-stroke engines or 2001 and later model direct-injection two strokes that comply with CARB emission requirements are allowed. Only gasoline free of the additive MTBE is allowed. Boats containing MTBE fuel will be turned away. The California Air Resources Board has reported that MTBE was removed from all gasoline refined for sale in California in Nov. 2003. Therefore, all gasoline must be purchased in California and proof of purchase will be required for boats with out-of-state registration. Refueling is prohibited except in designated areas. Sail, electric and man-powered boats are permitted. Float tubes and kayaks are not allowed. Rental boats are available at the marina. Rental boats are available at the marina. Boat slips, dry storage and pull-thru storage is also available. Lake Skinner Marina: (951) 926-1505x4

Boat Inspections

    "All boats-power boats, fishing boats, sailboats, rowboats, kayaks, canoes and certain types of catamarans-and respective engines must pass inspection and be registered to be allowed on the lake."

Inspection Sites:

• Lake Skinner Recreation Area, 37701 Warren Road, Temecula. 6am to 2pm daily.
• Diamond Valley Lake Visitor's Center - Located along Newport Rd., just West of the State St. intersection in Hemet. 8am to 3pm daily.

Fishing Info:

    Fishing permits are $4 per day. There are trout, catfish, largemouth bass and striped bass here. No Swimming/Skiing is allowed and boat speed is limited to "NO WAKE" which makes this a nice, quiet lake for fishing. Fish Report: (800) 234-FISH
Lake Records:

• Striped Bass - 39.5 pounds taken in 1993
• Largemouth Bass - 13.25 pounds
• Catfish - 33 pounds
• Rainbow Trout - 12.2 pounds
• Crappie - 3.9 pounds
• Bluegill - 1.2 pounds
• Read and Post Lake Skinner Fishing Reports Here

Comments and Tips:

New tip for stripers at skinner. Anchovies or night crawlers work great. We got over 30 stripper on the point by launch 2. The bite was so good we couldn't fish with 2 poles. All were 1 to 2lbs but the bite was constant.

4/8/2006 - I was up there last week a week after the tournament. had no luck on the tournament but had better luck the next weekend. Between he 3 of us we caught over 20 trout we kept our limit and gave a few away and released a ton. We where using night crawlers with a Bobber and rainbow power bait. None where of great size 1 to 2 lbs range. Did see a teenager catch a nice 6lb on a white roster tail around the dock at launch 2. The strippers are biting on chicken liver tied on with string to help hold it on. Also the bite was slow but productive with night crawlers. The actions is on and off but Patience is the key.

The lake has had a very hard time producing anything with scales for a while now. The quality of fish or fishing has really gone down the toilet. This is a very poorly managed and maintained fishery, as I feel the county has been trying to discourage any human impact on the lake at all.

The last time I fished there (Monday, March 21, 2005) I saw a turtle, a cat fish and the beds where the blue gills had tried to nest before the flood and rise of the lake. I saw no fry or even any carp jumping. There were no birds eating or getting excited about fry or fish of any sort to eat. There were a few mud hens and I saw a wood duck.. but they would not take my surface lures either.

Of the 20 or so people who were there, no one had a fish to take home, and this was after a really big trout stocking the Friday before in anticipation of the Big (Rained-out) Trout Tournament. Boaters and shore fishers were all reporting the same story: Nada!

One would think that SOME trout would show just a couple of days later after such a large stocking. Nope. The gate told me that no one had any real catches on the tournament either, and some of the 18 pounders are still there. Note please that I have not had a striper outta this lake since February, 2004. There just aren't any boils any more and the fish-eating birds are scarce, if not having died from starvation too.

All-in-all, this lake is in trouble.

The park reports it's phone number on the gate receipt as :

1-800-234-FISH (ha ha) should be 1-800-NO-FISH!

(Hand grenades, maybe red or blue might work.)

Joseph Vreeland