Fishing at Tunemah Lake, Fresno County, California

• Overview

  Tunemah Lake is listed under Fresno County, California. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. Roughly 42 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With about 0.9 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Few waters listed in Fresno County are bigger. The closest town, Big Pine, is 25 miles distant. West Bishop lies 28 miles off, Bishop another 29 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Tunemah Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Fresno County, recorded fish include brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, green sunfish and Sacramento sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Tunemah Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 52°F and February reads 21°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early June. Expect the water usable from around early June until roughly late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Time your trip to Tunemah Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Cathedral Lake is 2.7 miles off. What applies at Tunemah Lake may have changed since it was mapped.