Applegate Reservoir has been stocked with legal-size and larger-size rainbow trout. Fishing has been fair for trout. Fishing should be best early or late in the day. Fishing for smallmouth bass and other warmwater species should be good. You can target the smallmouth bass by casting lures along the rocky shorelines.

The Copper boat ramp and the Hart-Tish Park boat ramp and campground are open. Bank fishing can be difficult at Applegate due to the steep shoreline, but the upper end should have some access and there has been recent success by bank anglers at the creek mouths. The surface temperature in the reservoir is 69 degrees F.