About Las Trampas Creek, CA

Las Trampas Creek is a short waterway found in Contra Costa county. The creek is one of the 5 sub-watersheds alongside Clayton Valley Drain, PIne Creek, San Ramon Creek, and Grayson Creek. All these watersheds contribute to the 12.3-mile long Walnut Creek which is also a tributary to Suisun Bay.

Las Trampas Creek is located south of Walnut Creek city. It was named after the creek in the 1860s after the first post office in the area was built. The creek was named Walnut because of the many Walnut trees that used to line up the creek. Before European immigrants and modern-day Americans settled in the area, it was home to 3 Native American groups, the Saclan, Volvon, and Tactan.

All About Las Trampas Creek, CA

As a creek that gets water from Suisun Bay, it is an important part of Walnut City’s irrigation system. Its marine vegetation is great and the species living in the waters are diverse. Anglers looking to fish in the area will most likely encounter largemouth bass, catfish (black bullhead and channel), and redear sunfish.

Largemouth bass are considered one of the most common species of fish found in the United States. Its size and weight combined with the fact that they’re tough fighters make them a popular game fish for anglers. That being said, most anglers take weight into consideration when preparing equipment. A 6 or 8-weight rod is strong enough to handle fish around the 20 lbs range. Anglers also recommend the use of a disk drag in order to give a more gradual resistance in the line.  When preparing bait, it’s good to know that these fish can be caught using a variety of bait like jigs, worms, and minnows. Largemouth bass are commonly found in slow-moving, murky works and underneath trees, weeds, and debris. Because of their environment, they are easily enticed by colorful flies and streamers.

Another fish that puts up a good fight is the redear sunfish. These fish are not bait shy and can be used by anglers in order to practice using baits. They are also hard to find as they’re bottom-feeders that hide in lakebed vegetation. Most anglers let their flies sink for about 5-10 seconds then slowly reeling a few inches, before finally coming to a stop. When preparing equipment, it’s best to use a 7-9 ft. 5-weight rod with an 8 ft. leader attached to 4 ft. of 12 lbs mono. Anglers also use  #6 to #8 size flies like triangle bugs, bucktails, and wet flies while using corn or nightcrawlers as bait. 

When going catfishing, Las Trampas creek has two abundant species, black bullhead and channel catfish.  Black bullhead are considered a rough fish, meaning that it’s not a commonly eaten fish. For the most part they’re active during nighttime making them even harder to catch. They are extremely strong fighters but can be baited using worms or raw chicken liver. In comparison, anglers make use of the channel catfish’s sense of smell by using a cheese-based fibrous bait or stinkbait. Anglers also use a 7” to 7.6” fishing rod that’s long enough in letting anglers use fishing techniques like pitching or flipping.  Catfish in general have thicker skulls so it’s good to choose sharper and bigger treble hooks in order to minimize the chances of them escaping. Finally, anglers should be careful when handling catfish as they secrete a slime-like substance in turn for having no scales. They can be slippery and can cause cuts when not held properly.

Fishing Seasonality 

There are a lot of opportunities to catch fish in Las Trampas Creek. Black Bullhead can be caught almost throughout the year, specifically from February to October. During spring redear sunfish are the ones to look out for as they typically move closer to shorelines in order to spawn. At the end of spring, it will be the turn of largemouth bass to spawn from then until the latter half of September will be the best time to catch them. FInally, channel catfish are mostly from October to December during the winter season.

Fishing Seasonality 

There are a lot of opportunities to catch fish in Las Trampas Creek. Black Bullhead can be caught almost throughout the year, specifically from February to October. During spring redear sunfish are the ones to look out for as they typically move closer to shorelines in order to spawn. At the end of spring, it will be the turn of largemouth bass to spawn from then until the latter half of September will be the best time to catch them. FInally, channel catfish are mostly from October to December during the winter season.

All About Las Trampas Creek, CA

As a creek that gets water from Suisun Bay, it is an important part of Walnut City’s irrigation system. Its marine vegetation is great and the species living in the waters are diverse. Anglers looking to fish in the area will most likely encounter largemouth bass, catfish (black bullhead and channel), and redear sunfish.

Largemouth bass are considered one of the most common species of fish found in the United States. Its size and weight combined with the fact that they’re tough fighters make them a popular game fish for anglers. That being said, most anglers take weight into consideration when preparing equipment. A 6 or 8-weight rod is strong enough to handle fish around the 20 lbs range. Anglers also recommend the use of a disk drag in order to give a more gradual resistance in the line.  When preparing bait, it’s good to know that these fish can be caught using a variety of bait like jigs, worms, and minnows. Largemouth bass are commonly found in slow-moving, murky works and underneath trees, weeds, and debris. Because of their environment, they are easily enticed by colorful flies and streamers.

Another fish that puts up a good fight is the redear sunfish. These fish are not bait shy and can be used by anglers in order to practice using baits. They are also hard to find as they’re bottom-feeders that hide in lakebed vegetation. Most anglers let their flies sink for about 5-10 seconds then slowly reeling a few inches, before finally coming to a stop. When preparing equipment, it’s best to use a 7-9 ft. 5-weight rod with an 8 ft. leader attached to 4 ft. of 12 lbs mono. Anglers also use  #6 to #8 size flies like triangle bugs, bucktails, and wet flies while using corn or nightcrawlers as bait. 

When going catfishing, Las Trampas creek has two abundant species, black bullhead and channel catfish.  Black bullhead are considered a rough fish, meaning that it’s not a commonly eaten fish. For the most part they’re active during nighttime making them even harder to catch. They are extremely strong fighters but can be baited using worms or raw chicken liver. In comparison, anglers make use of the channel catfish’s sense of smell by using a cheese-based fibrous bait or stinkbait. Anglers also use a 7” to 7.6” fishing rod that’s long enough in letting anglers use fishing techniques like pitching or flipping.  Catfish in general have thicker skulls so it’s good to choose sharper and bigger treble hooks in order to minimize the chances of them escaping. Finally, anglers should be careful when handling catfish as they secrete a slime-like substance in turn for having no scales. They can be slippery and can cause cuts when not held properly.