2023 Big Bear Lake Free Fishing Map, Fishing Report, How to fish this lake with Best Areas plus local Hunting Clubs, San Bernardino Fishing
Quick Fishing Information and Big Bear Lake Reports:
Big Bear Lake is located near the city of San Bernardino, in
the San Bernardino National Forest.
Size: The lake covers 3,000 surface acres, and has 22 miles of
shoreline at an elevation of 6,743
feet.
Species: Rainbow trout, large and smallmouth bass, channel
catfish, and bluegill.
Facilities: Big Bear Lake is a complete destination area,
with all services a vacationer could
want. There is camping for tents and RV‘s, motels and resorts, marinas and public launch ramps,
swimming, hiking, biking, horseback
riding, golf, tennis, picnicking, boat rentals, storage, moorage, docking, tackle shops, grocery stores, and
more.
Just about a mile above the sea lies Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino National Forest. As one would expect at a lake of this altitude, most anglers are in pursuit of trout. Surprisingly, the
bass fishing at this cloud-scraping chunk
of water is tlso outstanding. Rainbow trout are the mainstay of Big Bear Lake, but in recent years it ias seen an explosion in the population of
northern strain largemouth and
smallmouth bass.
Big Bear also contains
large numbers of channel catfish and
bluegill. What you will find is some of
the best trout fishing in the
state.
What has actually
been caught is a naturally reproduced
trout. These fish are the result of planted rainbows that dodged the hook and became holdovers. The holdovers spawned, and now a population of the naturally reproduced fish inhabit the lake. Natives, some say, and while this
is not true, the moniker is close enough
to reality to let it slide.
Why the pink meat? It’s the excellent forage found in this lake, crustaceans, and midge flies, and assorted other goodies , from
the table of Mother Nature that help the trout grow fast, healthy, and l tasty. The natives are beautifully colored,
square-tailed trout that are harder to
catch than recent planters, and if you
land one, pat yourself on the back for a
job well done. You can keep the fish, but
it may prove more rewarding to let it go y and help the cycle of natural reproduction
continue.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
Migration is the key to locating the
naturally reproduced trout at Big Bear. The rainbows make two annual moves that correspond with the seasons and water temperature. You’ll find the fish keep the same Zip Code, but slide from one neighborhood to the next.
In the dead of winter
the trout are at the east side of the
lake near the Eagle Point, hunkered down
beneath the thermocline away from the layer of ice filming the surface. With spring, the ‘bows pack it up and head west, getting closer to the surface as they pass
Metcalf Bay and Wind Point.
As Summer comes on
and surface temps rise, the fish go
deeper again, and end up in the dam
area. With fall, the fish reverse the process. It’s the natives that do most of the migrating. Planters don't catch on too quickly, and the happy result is fish just about anywhere on the lake.
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH
PLANTS: They ain’t foolin’ around
when they plant this lake. Tons of fish
are planted each season, from the DFG
catchable size, to bruisers at a
whopping 15 pounds. When the big trout
derbies take place, preparations are
made in the form of trophy stockings,
with 5,000 pounds of strictly lunker-fish
plopped into the water. Your stringer
can have fish with vastly different sizes
here.
SURVEY SAYS: Based on what anglers find when chasing the trout at Big Bear, it’s almost difficult to get skunked. Go with the best lures, and have even more success. The number one lure is a Needlefish, Rapalas close behind. Go with gold, trout pattern, firetiger
and clown as the smart colors .
Trolling is a killer
method for hammering the ’bows, and placing
the lure miles behind the boat is sound thinking. Actually, 100 to 200 feet will do fine, but the whole idea is to disassociate the lure from your boat.
As a vessel passes over a school of fish, they tend to move off to the sides, returning long after the boat has passed. With gear wa-a-ay back, it will hopefully arrive
on the school as they return to the
area.
SIDE ORDER: When the fish spook to the sides of the boat, there may be no better way to hang one than with the use of a side planer. Mastmounted, in-line and clip-on units can be ordered from a catalogue or bought at a store, but the clip-ons are
the easiest to use and the least
expensive to buy.
With this product, the lure travels as far to the side of the boat as it does behind, and gives you a shot at fish you otherwise wouldn‘t have a chance to catch.
BANKER’S HOURS: Trout anglers plying their skills from the
bank spend hours battling fish at Big
Bear, and when the action is hot and
heavy, there‘s no better way to bum through
a few jars of Power Bait. The
manufactured bait simply slays the stocked fish, and an occasional native will
fall victim to the putty as well.
Nightcrawlers are the superior bait for the naturally reproduced trout, and they’ll take their share of the planters too.
Click on a county for Hunting Clubs & Private Ranches:
www.freehuntfishmaps.com
www.freehuntfishmaps.com
www.ranchhuntandfish.com
www.ranchhuntandfish.com
California and Oregon for private fishing, hunting clubs, and exclusive network of hunting ranches
we have many more fishing maps and hunting maps at www.freehuntfishmaps.com
California Hunting Clubs for Turkey, deer, pig, quail, fishing with Hunting Maps.
www.ranchhuntandfish.com
California and Oregon for private fishing, hunting clubs, and exclusive network of hunting ranches
we have many more fishing maps and hunting maps at www.freehuntfishmaps.com
California Hunting Clubs for Turkey, deer, pig, quail, fishing with Hunting Maps.
