West Kennedy Lake in Fresno County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  West Kennedy Lake is one of the Fresno County waters in California. Height above sea level is 9,977 feet. The water measures roughly 20 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Big Pine lies 28 miles from the water. Yokuts Valley is 34 miles away, with Three Rivers at 34 miles. Other water within reach: Lewis Lake 1 mile, 1.1 miles away is East Kennedy Lake, Slide Lakes 1.2 miles, 3 miles away is Granite Lake and Lake of the Fallen Moon 3.2 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on West Kennedy Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of West Kennedy Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 54°F, while January sits near 23°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late May. Expect the water usable from around late May until roughly late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan any trip to West Kennedy Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. 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. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Lewis Lake at 1 mile is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about West Kennedy Lake if anything is unclear.