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Fishing Clear Lake: what the data says
California's oldest natural lake, 43,000 fertile acres. routinely ranked the best bass lake in the West. The lake tops out around 43 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Clear Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Clear Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Tule bank (north shore): a weed flat around 13 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Clear Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Lower arm hole: a deep basin around 34 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Clear Lake
Spring channel catfish on Clear Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek mouth (spring run): a inflow / creek mouth around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Clear Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Tule bank (north shore): a weed flat around 13 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Lower arm hole: deep basin, around 34 ft
- Dock pilings & wood (Nice): standing timber / brush, around 28 ft
- Rocky point rubble: rock pile, around 27 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 14 ft
- Tule bank (north shore): weed flat, around 13 ft
- Lower-arm break: drop-off, around 11 ft
- Mid-lake shoal: offshore hump, around 10 ft
- Lakeport dock row: dock line, around 3 ft
- Creek mouth (spring run): inflow / creek mouth, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Clear Lake?
Clear Lake is about 43 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Clear Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Clear Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Clear Lake?
Lower arm hole is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 34 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Clear Lake?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
San Pablo Bay · Richardson Bay · Suisun Bay · Big Break · American River (Lower) · Sacramento River (Redding)
See how Clear Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best crappie lakes in California · best bluegill lakes in California · best channel catfish lakes in California
Browse all California fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA hydrographic surveys. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.