Monarch Lakes in Tulare County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Tulare County, Monarch Lakes is a California water. It sits in mixed forest. By elevation it is in the upper part of our California listings. Nearest town is Three Rivers, 19 miles off. The big place round here is Visalia, 42 miles distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple. The near end sees the visitors; the far end rarely does.

• Where to Fish on Monarch Lakes

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Tulare County include rainbow trout, brook trout and california golden trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Read Monarch Lakes before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 53°F and January near 20°F on the long-run figures. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early June. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early June until roughly late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Monarch Lakes that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Crystal Lake is 0.7 miles off. Where Monarch Lakes is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.