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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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Clear Lake maps at 39,546 acres behind 97.1 miles of shoreline — 9 islands included. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.5) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. About 51% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 18.8 mi, about 7.7 mi across. Lake County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Berryessa, is 41 mi to the southeast.
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 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. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Lakeport dock row (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Tule bank (north shore) (13 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Tule bank (north shore) (13 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Lower arm hole (34 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Lower arm hole. It's a deep basin holding about 34 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Lakeport dock row (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock pilings & wood (Nice) (28 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Tule bank (north shore) (13 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Lower arm hole (34 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek mouth (spring run): an inflow / creek mouth around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Creek mouth (spring run) (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Lower arm hole (34 ft) |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. Start at Tule bank (north shore). It's a weed flat holding about 13 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Lakeport dock row (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Tule bank (north shore) (13 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Tule bank (north shore) (13 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tule bank (north shore) (13 ft) | Tiny spoon |
20 pieces of structure are mapped here — Lower arm hole, around 34 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for California waters are set by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Clear Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Clear Lake is about 43 ft (13 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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.
Fishing on Clear Lake is regulated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Check the official California regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Berryessa 41 mi · Cuffeys Cove 52 mi · Albion Cove 55 mi · Mendocino Bay 58 mi · Napa River 62 mi · Petaluma River 62 mi · San Pablo Bay 71 mi · Suisun Bay 79 mi · Richardson Bay 81 mi · American River (Lower) 82 mi · Big Break 91 mi · Folsom Lake 92 mi
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 see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA hydrographic surveys. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.