Ben Eberli Waterhole, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In California, Ben Eberli Waterhole falls inside Modoc County. The surface lies 4,255 feet up. About 13 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Most waters listed here for Modoc County are larger. Burney is the closest place, 39 miles off. Alturas is 39 miles and McCloud 45 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ben Eberli Waterhole

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Modoc County cover Sacramento sucker, modoc sucker, rainbow trout, green sunfish and brook trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Work Ben Eberli Waterhole in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 29°F in January and 66°F in August. A lid forms in a hard winter only. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Ben Eberli Waterhole runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Little Egg Lake is 3.6 miles off. Rules at Ben Eberli Waterhole are worth checking on the day.