Fishing at Bass Lake, CA

About Bass Lake Bass Lake is a great retreat for a nice fishing vacation for the family. The lake is located less than 20 miles south of Yosemite National Park, and directly east of the town of Merced. The lake has Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Landlocked Kokanee Salmon, Catfish, Crappie, and Bluegill. You can rent boats on the lake for fishing and for fun. Families like to enjoy Water Skiing, Wake Boarding, Tubing, and Personal Watercraft. From a few of the marinas you can rent Patio Boats (even ones with a water slide that is fun for the kids), Fishing Boats, Pleasure Cruisers, Kayaks, Canoes, Row Boats, and even Rafts. If you are into having a great meal, Ducey’s on the Lake, a part of The Pines Resort, has a nice restaurant over looking the lake for a nice Filet Mignon. They also have an upstairs laid back bar with great drinks. It’s worth a stop after a big day of fishing, hiking, or playing on the water. Bass Lake Details Lake Size: 1,170 Surface Acres Max Depth: 98 Feet Length: 4 Miles Shoreline: 14 Miles Maximum Lake Elevation: 3,376 Feet Managed By: PG&E Average High Air Temp: Spring: 62 Degrees Summer: 82 Degrees Fall: 68 Degrees Winter: 48 Degrees Average Summer Surface Water Temp: 75 to 78 Degrees Fishing Regulations California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations Bass Lake Video Trophy Trout Spoons Fishing at Bass Lake Fishing is great from a boat, trolling, or toplining, as well as from shore. Fish Species at Bass Lake Landlocked Kokanee Salmon Largemouth Bass Rainbow Trout Crappie Bluegill Catfish Landlocked Kokanee Salmon You can usually find Kokanee scattered throughout the lake, so they are not easy to find from day to day as they may not be in the same spot from day to day. A good fish finder sonar is a must when Kokanee as you have to find the fish and where they are schooling in order to be successful at catching them. Kokanee do swim in schools, which does make them easier to locate when you cross over the top of a school of Kokanee. The best places to find Kokanee in the lake are areas with currents, wind blown points, large points that come out into the main lake, and tight narrow contour lines. You will find Kokanee in these areas because their food source is pushed into these areas and the Kokanee will follow the food source. Largemouth Bass. In the spring and summer time the Largemouth Bass action picks up on Bass Lake. The bass will get super hungry after their early summer spawn and will attack just about anything you throw at them. The best bets are spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, soft baits, and crankbaits. Best fishing areas would be around the boat docks, submerged structures, rocks, and submerged vegetation, and off the points. Rainbow Trout Rainbow Trout fishing is really great in Bass Lake. The best way to target nice trout is to find them on your fishfinder, and start trolling on a downrigger with a Kastmaster’s, needlefish, wedding ring’s tipped with a minnow or a worm, trout spoons, small apex, small stickbaits that are silver or rainbow trout pattern, and small flatfish. If your fishing from shore, you will do great fishing with a slip bobber setup with powerbait or live bait at about 18 feet. Panfish Bluegill, and Crappie, can be caught around the docks, rocky areas, weeds, and submerged vegetation, as well as around under water structures using worms, crickets, live minnows, jigs, fly’s, small soft plastics, and small spinners and spinnerbaits will work best. Catfish Catfish are best fished in the summer. Catfish can be found in the coves and the rocks. Chicken livers, sardines, clams, catfish bait, and mini crawlers will do the trick. Catfish will bite during the day, and at night. Great Lures for Largemouth Bass Bass Lake Boat Launch Ramps All vessels using the lake are required to display a current Lake use permit, which can be purchased at either of the two public launch ramps. Bass Lake Boat Ramp 39900 Road 222 Bass Lake Bass Lake, CA 93604 Phone: (559) 877-2218 Bass Lake Water Sports and Marina Bass Lake Bass Lake, CA 93604 Phone: (559) 642-3200 Forks Resort 39150 Road 222 Bass Lake, CA 93604 Phone: (559) 642-3737 Millers Landing Resort and Marina 37976 Road 222 Wishon, CA 93669 Phone: (559) 642-3633 The Pines Resort and Marina 54432 Road 432 Bass Lake, CA 93604 Phone: (559) 642-3121 Soft Bait Lures for Fishing at Bass Lake Bass Lake Fishing Guides and Fishing Charter Boats There are many different fishing guides that offer guided fishing trips on Bass Lake. FishingBooker is a service of local guides that you can choose from and schedule your next guided fishing trip. Click below to learn more about the different guides that offer guided fishing trips on Bass Lake, or any other area you are interested in going on a guided fishing trip or fishing charter boat. Book Your Next Fishing Charter by Clicking Below Shop for fishing tackle in our Fishing Gear and Tackle store. Cottages and Vacation Home Rentals around Bass Lake in CA These two listings are an example of what is available, click either rental house below for a complete list of rental homes and cottages available. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Mendenhall Outdoors team. We highlight products and services that you might find interesting. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. 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