Fishing Lower Turret Lake in Fresno County, California

• Overview

  Lower Turret Lake is listed under Fresno County, California. It lies 10,781 feet above sea level. It covers about 17 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Compared with other California water on our list, it sits high. For a base, West Bishop sits 22 miles out. Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek lies 25 miles off, Bishop another 25 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lower Turret Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Fresno County cover brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lower Turret Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 21°F in February up to 52°F in August. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early June. Ice usually gives way near early June, and forms again about late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Lower Turret Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Middle Turret Lakes, 0.7 miles away. Ask locally about Lower Turret Lake if anything is unclear.