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

• Overview

  Coyote Lake sits in Fresno County, out in California. This is farm and woodlot country. It measures about 63 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Around 1.2 miles of margin, front to back. It ranks high for size among our Fresno County listings. Some 23 miles away sits Auberry, the nearest settlement. After that come Yokuts Valley at 32 miles and Oakhurst at 32 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Coyote Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Fresno County include brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and green sunfish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Coyote Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 29°F in February up to 58°F in August. Whether it freezes depends on the year. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. On Coyote Lake that shapes the whole year. Spring fish sit shallower than most people expect.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. 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. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Beryl Lake at 1.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Coyote Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.