Clear Lake Fishing Guide

Clear Lake is one of the best largemouth bass lakes in the country, with lots of big fish in shallow, weedy, rocky water. It also has great crappie, catfish and bluegill fishing. It is a natural lake, so water levels stay steadier than most California reservoirs.

📍 Lake County, California, north of Napa County and San Francisco. Nearest towns: Lakeport, Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Lucerne, Nice and Kelseyville.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Southwest & California Lakes map →

Quick facts

Largest natural freshwater lake entirely within California, at about 43,800 surface acres.
One of the oldest lakes in North America, at nearly 500,000 years old.
Shallow lake: average depth about 27 feet, maximum about 60 feet.
The lake record largemouth bass weighed 17.52 pounds, caught in 1990.
Known as the 'Bass Capital of the West'; about two-thirds of the fish caught here are largemouth bass.

What you can catch

largemouth bass
The star fish; many 5-pound-plus bass. Docks, tules, weeds and rock piles.
crappie
Good numbers in spring around docks and brush.
channel catfish
Strong summer bite; the area holds a big catfish derby each May.
bluegill
Easy shallow fishing near docks and weeds in late spring and summer.
white catfish and bullhead
Common bottom fish; no limit on catfish in California.

Month by month

January	Winter pattern: slow drop shots, Carolina rigs and lipless crankbaits around rock piles 8-12 feet deep.
February	Pre-spawn starts as water hits the low 50s. Jerkbaits and drop shots on main lake points and rocky banks that warm fast. Big-fish month.
March	Pre-spawn to early spawn. Bass move to docks, rock and weed clumps near spawning bays.
April	Main spawn (water 58-68 degrees). North end flats like Lucerne, Nice and Clear Lake State Park are classic spawning areas. Crappie spawning too.
May	Post-spawn bass on docks, seawalls and weed edges 2-6 feet deep. Catfish and bluegill heat up.
June	Frogs over matted weeds, wacky rigs in weed openings, drop shots on rock at midday.
July	Summer pattern: fish early and late shallow; midday drop shots and docks for shade. Catfish at night.
August	Frogs and bladed jigs in weeds; neko rigs on rock piles. Watch for algae blooms.
September	Bass start feeding up. Lipless crankbaits on rock, spinnerbaits around docks.
October	Fall pattern: rock piles and reefs near deeper water; jerkbaits at pilings, crankbaits on rock.
November	Bass group on points and rock; crankbaits and jerkbaits. Crappie around docks.
December	Cold water; slow finesse baits around rock piles and protected docks.

Tips

Lake County requires a current quagga/zebra mussel sticker on your boat; get screened when you bring a boat back from another county.
The lake is shallow and can get rough with afternoon wind. Watch the weather.
There are 11 free public boat ramps around the lake.
Check the state fish eating advisory for Clear Lake (mercury) before keeping fish to eat.
Summer algae blooms can happen; check county water quality alerts and keep pets out of scummy water.

Rules and license

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) · Official rules page ↗

A California fishing license is required for anglers 16 and older.
Black bass: statewide lake rule applies, 5 fish per day, 12-inch minimum, open all year (Clear Lake is not listed with special bass rules).
Sunfish and crappie: combined limit of 25 per day.
Catfish and bullheads: no limit.
Clear Lake tributaries: artificial lures with barbless hooks only, 0 trout.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 27 boat ramps and 1 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Konocti Vista Marina

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.