Pay lakes in California
California has 26 pay lakes; 11 stock trout; most charge $10 to $100 a day; 2 charge by the pound.
Find a pay lake in California by name or town
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Pay lakes by city in California
Do you need a fishing license at a pay lake in California?
Usually not. You do not need a California sport fishing license to fish (not for profit) at a CDFW-registered aquaculture facility; unregistered pay ponds are not covered by this exemption.
California licenses pay lakes through its Aquaculture Facility Registration (Fish and Game Code §§ 15100-15105; 14 CCR § 235), run by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Aquaculture Program / License and Revenue Branch. The license rule depends on the lake holding that state license, so ask the lake if you are unsure.
"A sport fishing license is not required to take fish by any legal means, for any purpose other than profit, from a public pier, as defined by the commission, in the ocean waters of the state, or while angling at an aquaculture facility site that is registered pursuant to Section 235 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations."
Source: California Fish and Game Code § 7153(a) (text read via california.public.law because leginfo blocked the fetcher), checked November 2026. Compare every state on our pay lake license rules page.
Closed pay lakes in California
These lakes are listed as permanently closed: McGee Creek Trout Ponds.
More pay lake states
- Kentucky 89
- Ohio 64
- North Carolina 46
- Tennessee 27
- Indiana 25
- South Carolina 25
- Georgia 24
- West Virginia 23
Browse catfish pay lakes, trout pay ponds or see what pay lakes cost.