Fraser Lakes, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Tuolumne County, California, sits Fraser Lakes. The water sits 9,216 feet up. It covers about 4 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Tuolumne County are larger. Yosemite Valley is the closest place, 30 miles off. Twain Harte is 30 miles away, with Cedar Ridge at 32 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Fraser Lakes

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Tuolumne County include rainbow trout, brook trout and Sacramento sucker. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Treat Fraser Lakes as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 55°F, the coldest about 23°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late May. Climate figures give an open season running late May to late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Fraser Lakes runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Emigrant Lake, 0.4 miles away. Nothing on Fraser Lakes should be assumed from this page alone.