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Fishing Clifton Court Forebay: what the data says
2,500-acre reservoir near Byron. The lake tops out around 68 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Striped Bass fishing at Clifton Court Forebay
Start shallow in spring: striped bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 51 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a flutter spoon (deep) or a umbrella rig (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Clifton Court Forebay
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 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. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| 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 |
Channel Catfish fishing at Clifton Court Forebay
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 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. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 6 ft of water that rates good for channel catfish in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| 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 |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 51 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Clifton Court Forebay?
Clifton Court Forebay is about 68 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Clifton Court Forebay?
Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, striped bass on Clifton Court Forebay.
Where is the best fishing spot on Clifton Court Forebay?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 51 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Clifton Court Forebay?
For striped 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
Bethany Reservoir · Franks Tract · Big Break · Lake Del Valle · Suisun Bay · American River (Lower)
See how Clifton Court Forebay stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best channel catfish lakes in California · best striped bass lakes in California
Browse all California fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.