Lake Moran in Calaveras County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Lake Moran in Calaveras County, California. It lies 6,637 feet above sea level. It covers about 11 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. You are 15 miles from Arnold. The big place round here is Elk Grove, 67 miles distant. No border sits close enough to matter. The water is easy to walk round in a long session.

• Where to Fish on Lake Moran

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Calaveras County cover rainbow trout, brown trout, Sacramento sucker, bluegill and smallmouth bass. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The shape of Lake Moran decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 62°F on average, December about 31°F. Fishing continues through most of the calendar, with quiet spells rather than closures. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. On Lake Moran the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Swamp Lake is 0.9 miles distant. Nothing on Lake Moran should be assumed from this page alone.