Fishing at Crazy Lake, Fresno County, California

• Overview

  Crazy Lake sits in Fresno County, out in California. The setting is mixed forest on every side. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Our Fresno County list holds plenty of bigger water. Mammoth Lakes at 24 miles is the nearest place to stop. West Bishop lies 25 miles off, Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek another 27 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Crazy Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across Fresno County: brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Crazy Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 21°F in February and 52°F in August. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Once it clears, about early June, the fishing comes on quickly. From about early June to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Plan any trip to Crazy Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Foolish Lake at 0.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Crazy Lake if anything is unclear.