Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Pine Flat Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Pine Flat Lake: what the data says
5,970-acre reservoir near Piedra. A deep Kings River canyon lake in the Sierra foothills. Big spotted bass on bluff walls, kokanee trolling in spring. The lake tops out around 429 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, Pine Flat Lake draws 5,279 acres inside 46.6 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 4.6, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. About 22% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone.
Spotted Bass fishing at Pine Flat Lake
Spring spotted bass on Pine Flat Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 50 ft. The chart's best answer is Offshore hump — offshore hump, 37 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot over brush or a underspin + fluke (schoolers).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (5 ft) | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 25 to 50 ft | midday | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Pine Flat Lake
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Pine Flat Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Rock reef, a rock pile in the 5-ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Pine Flat Lake
Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (5 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Kokanee fishing at Pine Flat Lake
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall kokanee. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 365 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 215 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 107 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 107 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 37 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 22 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 5 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 2 ft
Pine Flat Lake fishing regulations
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 Pine Flat Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Pine Flat Lake?
Pine Flat Lake is about 429 ft (131 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Pine Flat Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, kokanee, spotted bass on Pine Flat Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Pine Flat Lake?
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: a offshore hump in about 37 ft of water that rates prime for spotted bass in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
When is the best time to fish Pine Flat Lake?
For spotted 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.
What are the fishing regulations for Pine Flat Lake?
Fishing on Pine Flat 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.
Nearby waters
Millerton Lake 23 mi · Longley Lake 44 mi · George Lake 52 mi · Mary Lake 53 mi · Mamie Lake 53 mi · Waugh Reservoir 61 mi · Gem Lake 61 mi · Agnew Lake 61 mi · Tioga Lake 73 mi · Kern River 80 mi · Don Pedro Reservoir 86 mi · Isabella Lake 95 mi
See how Pine Flat Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best smallmouth bass lakes in California · best rainbow trout lakes in California · best kokanee lakes in California
Browse all California fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.