Pear Lake in Tehama County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Pear Lake is a Tehama County water, in California. It sits in rolling hill. Small at around 5 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. 19 miles away sits Shingletown, the nearest town. Chester follows at 21 miles, then Forest Ranch at 30 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules. There is no development on most of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Pear Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Tehama County cover Chinook salmon, green sturgeon, Sacramento sucker and rainbow trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Pear Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 61°F in July and bottoms out near 33°F in December. Whether it freezes depends on the year. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. On Pear Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Mapping flags this water as intermittent: it can be dry for part of the year, so check before travelling. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. McGowan Lake at 6.9 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Pear Lake in what we hold.