This guide covers San Diego County creeks and rivers: county preserves, a state park, a national forest waterfall hike and city and regional parks, plus a rules page. CDFW stocks lakes and ponds, not creeks, here. Fishing is banned at Santa Margarita and limited at San Dieguito.Checked October 23, 2026.
Places in Streams and Fishing Guides
Stream Fishing Rules and Creek Safety
License, regulations, trout planting, local no-fishing rules and flash-flood safety for San Diego County creeks.
County PreserveSanta Ysabel County Preserves Stream Guide
Two county preserves with more than 15 miles of trails, open 8 a.m. to sunset daily.
County PreserveWilderness Gardens County Preserve Stream Guide
Oldest county open-space preserve: 737 acres on the San Luis Rey River, $5 parking, closed Wednesdays.
County PreserveSanta Margarita County Preserve Stream Guide
221-acre river corridor in Fallbrook with two miles of trails. Fishing is not allowed.
County PreserveLos Penasquitos Canyon County Preserve
About 12 miles of creekside trails in a shaded canyon, managed by the County and City of San Diego.
County PreserveLusardi Creek County Preserve Stream Guide
About 195 acres and a roughly 3-mile trail system along Lusardi Creek.
Regional ParkOtay Valley Regional Park Stream Guide
Riverside park with 8.3 miles of non-motorized trails, seven staging areas and seven ponds.
State ParkPalomar Mountain State Park Doane Valley
State park with a stocked trout pond; State Parks asks visitors not to fish the creeks below it.
National Forest TrailCedar Creek Falls and San Diego River Gorge Trail
Permit-only 5.5-mile round trip to an 80-foot waterfall near Ramona; reserve on Recreation.gov.
River ParkSan Dieguito River Park
A 55-mile greenway from Del Mar to Volcan Mountain with named fishing spots and a leash rule.
City ParkMast Park and Mast Park West Trail
Santee city park with 2 miles of lighted trails, a dog park, disc golf and a creekside walk-in entrance.
County PreserveMt. Gower County Preserve Stream Guide
1,574-acre Ramona preserve with 8 miles of trails and seasonal streams; closed every August for heat.
Rules First
Read our stream fishing rules and creek safety page first. It covers the California license, free days, what CDFW stocks and the flash-flood warnings from the National Weather Service.
More Creek and River Pages on This Site
These pages already exist: Green Valley Day Use Area, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Pine Valley County Park, Sweetwater Summit Regional Park, Tijuana River Valley Regional Park, Tijuana River Estuary Reserve, Walker Preserve, Louis A. Stelzer County Park, Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center, California Fishing License and Limits, Free Fishing Days and Fishing With Kids.
Events in Streams and Fishing Guides
0 confirmed dates are on the Streams and Fishing Guides events page, from the organizers’ own pages.
What We Could Not Verify
- Several named rivers (San Luis Rey in Oceanside, Sweetwater, Cottonwood, Pine Valley Creek, Escondido Creek) have no primary-source page read, so they are not covered. Not confirmed.
- Where a page marks an item unconfirmed, treat it as unconfirmed until the named agency confirms it.
FAQ
Does CDFW stock San Diego County creeks?
Its planting list for San Diego County names only lakes and ponds, read 2026-10-23.
Where is fishing banned?
The county says fishing is not allowed at Santa Margarita County Preserve, and San Dieguito River Park allows it only at named spots.
Is the Cedar Creek Falls hike open?
Check the Forest Service alerts page. It needs a Recreation.gov permit and is commonly closed in August.
Sources
- CDFW: fishing licenses
- San Diego County Parks
- San Dieguito River Park
- Cleveland National Forest: alerts
- National Weather Service: turn around, don't drown
Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s San Diego. Cite this page: It’s San Diego (itssandiego.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.