Clear Lake in Fresno County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Clear Lake stands in Fresno County, California. The country round it is open valley from end to end. Surface area runs to about 4 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Fresno County. Yokuts Valley sits 27 miles from here and is the nearest stop. It is 43 miles to Clovis, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The shape of Clear Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 30°F in January and 61°F in August. A lid forms in a hard winter only. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Clear Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out. Autumn cools the shallows first, so work deeper as it goes on.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. A carry of 0.9 miles from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Courtright Reservoir is 2.7 miles off. Ask locally about Clear Lake if anything is unclear.