Fishing Clear Lake in Siskiyou County, California

• Overview

  Clear Lake lies in Siskiyou County, California. It sits in mixed woodland country. About 7 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. For supplies, Happy Camp is 29 miles out. Chico is the closest city, 137 miles away. If this one is busy: Lily Lake at about 0.4 miles, Lost Lake at 0.9 miles, Chimney Rock Lake at about 0.9 miles, Steinacher Lake at 1.1 miles and Smiths Lake at about 2.2 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brook trout, Chinook salmon and klamath smallscale sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Clear Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 60°F and December reads 35°F. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. On Clear Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Lily Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Where Clear Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.