Bass Lake Fishing in Marin County, California

• Overview

  Bass Lake lies within the bounds of Marin County, California. The surface lies 459 feet up. Small at around 13 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is a small entry by Marin County standards. Nearest town is Bolinas, 5.1 miles off. Chinatown is the closest city, 22 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Bass Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Marin County records list striped bass, Chinook salmon, Coho salmon and rainbow trout among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Bass Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 62°F at the top of summer and 49°F at the bottom of winter. There is no frozen season to plan round. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Bass Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Crystal Lake, 0.5 miles out. For Bass Lake in particular, ask before you travel.