Betty’s Kitchen (The Laguna Division)
If you go to the place called Betty’s Kitchen you probably won’t be fishing the area most locals will when they say they are going to Betty’s Kitchen.
If you go to the place called Betty’s Kitchen you probably won’t be fishing the area most local will be when they say the are going to Betty’s Kitchen. If you look at the map you will see there is a park not far from Mittry Lake called Betty’s Kitchen. There is a small body of water there, but its not really connected to anything directly, and its not what most people mean when they say they are going to fish Betty’s Kitchen. Usually, they mean they are going to fish Laguna Reservoir or “The Laguna Division.” That is the interconnected waters between Laguna Dam and the west gate at Imperial dam. (During flood years also maybe the east gate.)
Drive past the park at Betty’s Kitchen and go until you get to a gate (it may be open or closed) then turn right. Drive straight past the cotton wood stand and the farm fields. You will reach a fair to decent dirt boat ramp that launches into a small channel. This channel leads out to the main river. This is one of a handful of launches that will allow you to fish Laguna Reservoir. I believe its the only one that is on open public land. There is another launch on the west side of the river just upstream from Laguna Dam, but I believe that one is on the Indian reservation. If I don’t have that quite right by all means drop me an email and let know.
Laguna Reservoir has all the local species and it’s a great change of pace from fishing the Imperial Division (above Imperial Dam). If you launch at “Betty’s Kitchen” to fish the Laguna Division watch the water level. It can fluctuate a lot. You may find there was plenty of water to launch one time, and there isn’t enough to get up or down the channel another.