Whatever the reason, Pine Flat Lake is a definite go-to destination for big spotted bass. There are threadfin shad, bluegill, and crawfish on the menu as well. The bass here benefit from the regular planting of rainbow trout and kokanee salmon. There are several reasons for the massive-sized spots found here. Largemouth and smallies are also found around the lake.Īll of these bass can grow big, feeding on everything from shad and crawfish to rainbow trout and kokanee. Pine Flat Lake has some of the best spotted bass fishing in the area. Keep that in mind when heading to the lake. This means the water levels can fluctuate wildly and may drop to extreme levels in the summer and fall. The lake itself is used for irrigation water and operating the power plant at the dam. Native rainbow trout are in the area and are catch and release.Ĭheck the current regulations before hitting the water as these wild rainbows occasionally drop downstream into the reservoir. Keep in mind there are special regulations in the upper Kings River for trout.

We won’t be completely surprised if a larger spot comes to the net at Pine Flat to reclaim that record.īut the fishing at Pine Flat Lake doesn’t revolve just around the spotted bass, as there are both Chinook and kokanee salmon, trout, catfish and the other two popular species of black bass found in California. Spotted bass are a big draw here, and we mean big: This is one of the lakes where the biggest Alabama spotted bass caught here topped 10 pounds and at the time was a world record that has since been eclipsed.

Pine Flat Lake is a beautiful lake tucked away in the Sierras not far from Fresno and is considered one of California’s best bass fishing destinations.

Pine flat lake fishing report