Fishing at Lake of the Fallen Moon, Fresno County, California

• Overview

  Out in Fresno County, California, sits Lake of the Fallen Moon. Height above sea level is 8,947 feet. It covers about 8 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Supplies mean a trip to Big Pine, 25 miles off. It is 55 miles to Visalia, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake of the Fallen Moon

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Fresno County include brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and green sunfish. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Lake of the Fallen Moon the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 54°F and January about 23°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Winter locks it down, and late May brings it back. Ice clears near late May and comes back about late November in a typical year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That shapes the year on Lake of the Fallen Moon.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. State Lakes sits 2.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Lake of the Fallen Moon as something to verify.