California Bass Fishing, California Fishing Guides And Charters

It's true that the great state of California was once the site of a famous gold rush, but today, many residents and visitors are seeking other types of treasures in the lakes, streams, and rivers - the finned type. California is a long state, geographically speaking, and it supports several different types of ecosystems, resulting in numerous fish species. The two most popular are bass and trout and there are numerous California fishing guides and charters peppered throughout the state for the next fishing trip you take to California..

California fishing means freshwater fishing variety as the lakes, rivers, and reservoirs in largest state in the union are absolutely teeming with a number of different species that makes fishing in California interesting and exciting for just about all anglers, no matter what your target species may be. The fish, lakes, and rivers of California are numerous and so are the California fishing guides.

California fishing offers a wide range of opportunities. By far the most rewarding experiences are in the Sacramento River which is also where you will find most of your Northern California fishing guides. The Sacramento River watershed is linked to numerous important rivers and lakes. The rivers include not only the Sacramento River, but the American, the Feather, the McCloud, the Pit, the Yuba, and Squaw Creek. Among the lakes are Shasta, Whiskeytown, Lake Shastina, Lake Siskiyou, and the McCloud and Keswick Reservoirs.

California fishing guides know the rivers flowing through the valleys are just brimming over with salmon, steelhead, trout, shad, or striped bass. The local California fishing guides, assuming you find a reputable guide will deliver a successful outing on California’s rivers by taking time and showing patience in their teaching methods, even offering up a few of their own secrets so you can learn a few fishing techniques that work. There are also many fishing guides in California that will let you try fly fishing if that is what you are interested in.

Top California Freshwater Fishing Guides and Popular California Lakes

Best California Bass Fishing Venues

Northern California has many rivers and streams for those anglers who enjoy fly fishing for steelhead, salmon, and trout. The California fishing guides in the northern part of the state lead anglers to the local rivers and streams, including the Trinity River, Smith River, McCloud River, Klamath River, and the American River. The excellent fishing is not only limited to the rivers and streams, as California offers more great fishing on its lakes too. There are top California fishing guides on Lake Davis, Stampede Reservoir, Eagle Lake, Lake Oroville and Folsom Lake for steelhead, trout, and salmon. For warm water fishing, there are local California fishing guides and charters on Lake Amador, Clear Lake, and Collins Lake that insures anglers will have a successful California largemouth bass fishing experience.

California bass include the spotted bass, the smallmouth bass, and the largemouth bass. Bass grow big here, and the state record largemouth, at 21 pounds 12 ounces, is just shy of the world record. Below are some of the best bass lakes in the state.

Lake Castaic, located in Southern California, was the site of the state record largemouth bass, and that's not the only lunker to have come from the lake. Castaic covers only 2,235 acres, but for years it was known as the best place for trophy bass in the entire nation. A whopping 22-pound, .5 ounce bucketmouth was caught and released there in 1991. lake Castaic is actually two bodies of water - the upper lake and the lower lagoon. To try your hand at catching a trophy bass, fish the lagoon.

Big Bear Lake, also in Southern California, holds a healthy supply of largemouth bass, mostly in the 2-4 pound range. The lake is about seven miles long and a mile wide, with several marinas and professional bass fishing guides available.

Pine Flat Lake, located in the central part of the state, holds a decent supply of largemouth bass, but it's most famous for its spotted bass. Three world-record spotted bass have been landed there, and even larger fish are rumored to ply the waters. Year-round bass fishing in the lake is productive.

Trinity Lake, located in northern California, is the third-largest manmade lake in the state. It has lots of structure that bass love, and the fishing is good throughout much of the year. Bass species include largemouth and smallmouth.

Trout Fishing

Some of the best rainbow trout fishing lakes in California are Eagle Lake, Diamond Valley Lake, Lake McClure, and Lake Natome.

For cutthroat trout, try Indian Tom Reservoir, Kirman Lake, and Lake Tahoe.

For browns, try Davis Lake, Owens River Gorge, and Upper Twin Lake.

If you're interested in catching brook trout, check out Lake McSwain, Lake McClure, and Silver Lake.

Productive trout rivers and streams include the Kern, Merced, East Walker, and Kings rivers, along with Volcano Creek, Rush Creek, and Golden Trout Creek.

Some of the largest trout are found in remote areas in the mountains, away from heavy fishing pressure. Your best bet is to hire the services of a professional trout fishing guide.

Other Cailifornia Freshwater Fish Species

Other fishes caught in California on a regular basis include striped bass, bluegill, crappie, sturgeon, tilapia, mountain whitefish, and several species of catfish and salmon.