Anderson Lake Fishing in Santa Clara County, California

• Overview

  Anderson Lake lies in Santa Clara County, in California. The setting is dry hill. Roughly 569 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. The shoreline runs about 14 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. It ranks high for size among our Santa Clara County listings. The nearest town is Morgan Hill, 3.4 miles away. San Jose is the closest city, 19 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Anderson Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Santa Clara County records list flathead grey mullet, rainbow trout, common carp, bluegill and Sacramento sucker among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The near bank of Anderson Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 47°F to 72°F. The awkward stretch is midsummer, not midwinter. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Anderson Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out. A settled spell fishes better than a bright one.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. There are toilets half a mile off. This sits inside Anderson Lake County Park, so read the reserve notices first. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Turnbull Learning Academy is 0.7 miles off. Nothing on Anderson Lake should be assumed from this page alone.