• Home
  • Rates
  • Sites
  • Amenities
  • Contact & Directions
  • Book Your Campsite Now
  • Kayak and Canoe Rentals
  • Blog
  • Clear Lake Campground FAQs
  • Covid Update
CLEAR LAKE Campground
  • Home
  • Rates
  • Sites
  • Amenities
  • Contact & Directions
  • Book Your Campsite Now
  • Kayak and Canoe Rentals
  • Blog
  • Clear Lake Campground FAQs
  • Covid Update

The Clear Lake Blog

Fishing on Clear Lake and Cache Creek

3/15/2018

8 Comments

 
Updated 2023
Clear Lake is well-known to bass fisherman as the best lake for bass fishing west of the Mississippi and it's often named as one of the top bass fishing lakes in the US. The lake is a great habitat for bass because of its warm, shallow water. Since Clear Lake doesn't freeze over, it's possible to fish any time of year, too. Bass fishing is best done from a boat although it's possible to catch them from shore, both in the lake and along Cache Creek.

The annual Clear Lake Team Bass Tournament, held in late March (2023 date is March 25-26), draws bass fishermen from all over California and beyond. Clear Lake's record largemouth bass weighed in at 17.52 pounds.

While bass may be the most popular fish to catch, Clear Lake and Cache Creek are excellent spots for catching catfish, bluegill, crappie, and carp. These fish can easily be caught from shore, making fishing one of the most popular and enjoyable activities at Clear Lake Campground, right on Cache Creek. Catfish are the fish most commonly caught at the campground but campers also catch smaller fish, carp, and sometimes bass from our bank. Even kids have a great time fishing off the bank and hauling in their catch! There's a fish cleaning station right by the pier too so it's easy to clean your fish if you don't want to throw them back.

You don't need any special lures for these fish either, night crawlers or small minnows are good for bluegill, crappie, and catfish. Catfish will bite on other things too including crawdads, chicken liver, mackerel, and even hot dogs. It's not uncommon for catfish to weigh close to 20 pounds. Catfish Derby winners range from 22.24 to 24.87 pounds. Just remember that catfish have prickly spines so it's best to wear gloves when you handle them.

The annual Catfish Derby, held in May, is billed as the "largest catfish tournament west of the Mississippi". We have our own Camper Catfish Derby right here at Camp in May, too (2023 date is May 19-20).

Clear Lake Campground is the perfect place to spend lazy days fishing, watching ducks swim by or birds flying overhead, and enjoying the peaceful view of Anderson Marsh right across the creek. Our store stocks live night crawlers and frozen bait including mackerel, sardines, chicken liver, anchovies, and clams. We also sell hooks and weights but for bigger items and more selection, Clearlake Bait and Tackle is just 2.5 miles away at 14699 Lakeshore.

So just book your campsite and  bring your pole - we'll be waiting for you!

Remember that you do need a fishing license to fish, even for a day. You can get one online from California Department of Fish and Wildlife or buy one in town at Clearlake Bait and Tackle.

If you'd like to spend a day with a fishing guide, you'll find several listed on Clear Lake Fishing.
Book A Boat Rental
Book a Site at Clear Lake Campground
Picture
More Activities to Enjoy at Clear Lake Campground:
  • Bird watching from a Kayak
  • 5 Top Events in Lake County
  • Monthly Events Throughout the Year
  • 36 Hours at Clear Lake Campground
Sign Up for Our Free Clear Lake Campground Newsletter

Author:

Martha Bakerjian is a travel writer who divides her time between Clearlake and northern Tuscany. She writes about Italy on her site, Martha's Italy.

Picture
8 Comments

    Categories

    All
    Activities
    Food And Wine
    Lake County Events
    Plan Your Visit
    RVs And Camping
    When To Go

    Archives

    July 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017

    RSS Feed

    Author

    Martha Bakerjian is a part-time employee at Clear Lake Campground and writes a web site about Italy:
    ​Martha's Italy

  • Home
  • Rates
  • Sites
  • Amenities
  • Contact & Directions
  • Book Your Campsite Now
  • Kayak and Canoe Rentals
  • Blog
  • Clear Lake Campground FAQs
  • Covid Update