Apollo Lake in Fresno County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Apollo Lake lies within the bounds of Fresno County, California. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. The water measures roughly 20 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It sits higher than most water we list in California. Nearest place of any size is Mammoth Lakes, 22 miles away. Beyond it, West Bishop at 24 miles and Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek at 26 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Apollo Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Fresno County include brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Take Apollo Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 52°F and February at 22°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. After early June the shallows warm and the fish move up. Expect the water usable from around early June until roughly late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Apollo Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Orchid Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Apollo Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.