Cirque Lake Fishing Guide, Fresno County, California

• Overview

  Cirque Lake is a Fresno County water, California side. The setting is mixed forest. The water covers some 25 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The nearest town is Mammoth Lakes, 22 miles away. Further out sit West Bishop (25 miles) and Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek (27 miles). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Cirque Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fresno County records list brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, green sunfish and Sacramento sucker among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Cirque Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between February at about 21°F and August at about 52°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early June. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early June until roughly late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Cirque Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Depressed Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Cirque Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.