Patterson Lake Fishing in Modoc County, California

• Overview

  You will find Patterson Lake in Modoc County, California. The surroundings are farm and woodlot. It covers about 21 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Modoc County are larger. Alturas lies 18 miles from the water. Reno sits 130 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Patterson Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name Sacramento sucker, modoc sucker, rainbow trout and green sunfish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Patterson Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 58°F for August and 26°F for December. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. That is the shape of the year on Patterson Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Cottonwood Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Patterson Lake before loading the car.