When I was younger (between 10 & 15 years ago), I fished the Santa Ana River (back road up to Big Bear Hwy 38) almost every week. My uncle lived in Seven Oaks near the base of the canyon. We have caught brown trout out of the stream but it was very rare. They are extremely difficult to catch from that river because they are natural browns and very skittish. It's more like a stream the majority of the year between 8 & 12 feet across in most areas. The river is stocked with rainbows every other week during the season. I would suggest calling the Fish & Game office for that area (San Bernardino County) to see what information they could provide you.

Good luck,

Terry G.