Little Tule Lake, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In California, Little Tule Lake falls inside Lassen County. It lies 6,499 feet above sea level. Small at around 11 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Chester sits 14 miles from here and is the nearest stop. For a city, Chico is 65 miles off. Not far off: Tule Lake sits 0.3 miles out, Pine Lake at about 0.3 miles, Caribou Lake sits 0.5 miles out, Cowboy Lake at about 0.9 miles and Silver Lake sits 1 mile out. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Little Tule Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Lassen County include rainbow trout, tahoe sucker and Sacramento sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Little Tule Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 59°F and January near 28°F on the long-run figures. Fishing continues through most of the calendar, with quiet spells rather than closures. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Little Tule Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Tule Lake, 0.3 miles away. The position on Little Tule Lake is worth confirming on the day.