Iceland Lake in Tuolumne County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Iceland Lake sits in Tuolumne County, out in California. Height above sea level is 9,137 feet. About 18 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. You are 30 miles from Twain Harte. Cedar Ridge follows at 31 miles, then Tuolumne City at 33 miles. Others close at hand: Ridge Lake 0.5 miles away, Sardella Lake about 0.6 miles, Pinto Lakes 1.6 miles away, Black Hawk Lake about 2.1 miles and Relief Reservoir 2.9 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Iceland Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Tuolumne County include rainbow trout, brook trout and Sacramento sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Iceland Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 55°F at the top of summer and 23°F at the bottom of winter. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around late May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Expect the water usable from around late May until roughly late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Iceland Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Ridge Lake, 0.5 miles out. Check the position on Iceland Lake before loading the car.