Bathtub Lake Fishing in Fresno County, California

• Overview

  This water sits in Fresno County, California. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Mammoth Lakes is the closest place, 13 miles off. The big place round here is Clovis, 57 miles distant. Near neighbours: Rainbow Lake at 0.4 miles, Big Margaret Lake after 0.4 miles, Fern Lake at 0.6 miles, Baby Lake after 0.6 miles and Coyote Lake at 0.7 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Bathtub Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Fresno County include brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Bathtub Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 54°F, with February the cold end at about 25°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late May. Open water usually runs from late May until about early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Bathtub Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Rainbow Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Bathtub Lake for certain.