Fishing at Foolish Lake, Fresno County, California

• Overview

  Foolish Lake is set in Fresno County, California. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. On water this small, stealth matters more than range. On size it sits at the modest end of our Fresno County list. 24 miles away sits Mammoth Lakes, the nearest town. It is 55 miles to Clovis, the nearest city. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Foolish Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Fresno County include brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and green sunfish. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish Foolish Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 21°F to 52°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early June. Climate averages put the opening at about early June and the closing near late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It holds true on Foolish Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Crazy Lake sits 0.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Foolish Lake for certain.