San Diego Fishing Holes / Steve Dolan : CHOLLAS LAKE AT A GLANCE

Open--Every day but New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Primary fish--Bass. The Chollas bass record is 15-pounds, 8-ounces, caught in 1976 off the fishing pier.

Other fish--bluegill, sunfish, catfish and trout.

Facilities--Jogging path, nature trail and picnic tables. ABOUT THE LAKE

Fishing is the domain of children at Chollas Lake. The lake is open to children under 16, who do not need California State fishing permits.

Dick Whitmore, the Chollas Lake director, said the lake has been for children only since it opened in 1971.

“The main purpose is to give kids the chance to get hooked on fishing and not have the competition of experienced anglers,” Whitmore said. “It’s the right-sized lake inside city limits, and it has easy access for children.”

Whitmore said the rule of thumb is that children under 9 should be accompanied by an adult. Organized groups are welcomed, and children in those groups are provided with bamboo fishing poles.

Most of the children at Chollas Lake fish for bluegill, Whitmore said. Bluegill are considered to be the easiest fish to catch.

However, bass fishing is also popular. In 1976, Kevin Crutcher of San Diego landed the lake-record bass, which weighed 15 1/2 pounds.

Other species include sunfish, catfish and trout.

“We have been in a reconstruction project for the last 21 months,” Whitmore said. “Our water level was down 17 feet, which reduced us from a 15-acre lake to a 6-acre lake. We haven’t stocked (fish) during the period it was down. We’re hoping to get some catfish in September and trout when the water cools off, probably in November.”

Here are Whitmore’s recommendations for catching fish at Chollas Lake: HOW AND WHERE TO CATCH FISH

Bass--They are normally found near rocks, brush and dropoffs. The best bait is nightcrawlers or plastic worms.

Bluegill and sunfish--Any type of mealworm is considered good bait. These species are abundant throughout the lake.

Catfish--They are most often located near feeder streams, points and dropoffs. Redworms, cut bonito and cut mackerel are the best bait.

Trout--Their season usually runs from November through July 4. They most often bite on salmon eggs, marshmallows and red worms. Trout stay near the shore early in the season and move to deeper water as the lake warms up.