Fishing at South Lake, Fresno County, California

• Overview

  You will find South Lake in Fresno County, California. Country round the bank runs to open valley. This is a pocket water of some 22 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The closest town, Auberry, is 24 miles distant. The nearest city of size is Clovis, 42 miles away. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on South Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Fresno County include brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, green sunfish and Sacramento sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish South Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 56°F; the cold one sits at 26°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. The season on South Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try First Dinkey Lake, 0.5 miles away. Ask locally about South Lake if anything is unclear.