Bear Reservoir Fishing Guide, Mariposa County, California

• Overview

  Bear Reservoir is one of the Mariposa County listings for California. Height above sea level is 387 feet. Roughly 290 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. It ranks high for size among our Mariposa County listings. The closest town, Planada, is 7.3 miles distant. Modesto sits 46 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Bear Reservoir

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Public occurrence data for Mariposa County names rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Bear Reservoir is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 81°F and December near 46°F. Heat sets the pattern from late spring onward. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. The season on Bear Reservoir follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Mapped as intermittent, it fills after rain and shrinks between. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Petes Pond sits 3.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Bear Reservoir before loading the car.