Fishing at Big Bear Lake, Plumas County, California

• Overview

  Big Bear Lake stands in Plumas County, California. The bank gives way to rolling hill. At roughly 9 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. For a base, Chester sits 18 miles out. Chico is the closest city, 60 miles away. Within a short drive: Little Bear Lake a touch under 0.4 miles, 0.7 miles out stands Cluster Lakes, Silver Lake a touch under 0.7 miles, 1.1 miles out stands Feather Lake and Emigrant Lake a touch under 1.8 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Big Bear Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Plumas County include rainbow trout, brook trout, Sacramento sucker, brown trout and green sunfish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Big Bear Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 29°F to 59°F. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Expect Big Bear Lake to follow that timing. The first frost of the year slows things for a few days.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Little Bear Lake, 0.4 miles out. None of that is settled for Big Bear Lake in what we hold.