Coarsegold Fishing and Lakes

Welcome to the Coarsegold Fishing Page

In Coarsegold proper, about all we have to offer fishermen are small ponds. The good news: Bass and panfish action can be excellent in these big puddles. The bad news: Most are private. If you would like to have a truly wild time, hire one of the two guides listed as fly fishing sources, and they will set you up with a float tube excursion to one of these trophy bass habitats.

Coarsegold has a couple of small streams. During high flows, Coarsegold Creek (or Gulch), the town's namesake, has small runs of panfish that may move upstream from private Blackhawk Lake. Or so we hear. Access to fishable areas is problematic. This is all private property. The Fresno River might have trout in its upper reaches and tributary creeks, espcially during high flows. But these are not fishing and swimming/wading creeks, folks. There are some nice spots along these streams. Too bad you can't get to them. Public access ranks low on the must-have list of Madera County's politicos.

To find a trout stream or a nice picnic spot by the water, you'll have to do some driving. Don't worry, we'll provide some good links to outside areas just below.

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Best link for all fisherman: The Department of Fish and Game fishing section. Interactive maps and planting schedules will take you right where you want to go.

Best book for all fishermen: Foghorn Outdoors - California Fishing.

Best nearby lake to fish is Bass Lake, which is only about 30 minutes from Coarsegold. BassLakeCa.com has an excellent description of the angling opportunities you'll find here, which include ample trout and Kokanee as well as bass and other warm water species. Boat noise is loud on summer weekends.

Best nearby sources for trout fishermen: Yosemite Flyfishing in El Portal, and Sierra Fly Fisher Tours in Bass Lake and Oakhurst.

Manzanita lake, near North Fork, offers stocked trout in season. Nice place for a picnic. It's quite small but has good shore and float-tube fishing. Head way east of North Fork (almost 60 miles from Coarsegold) and you'll find Mammoth Pool Reservoir, a large and scenic cold-water lake with plenty of big trout. Mind the spring closure for deer migration.

Warm-water lakes within a reasonable drive are Hensley Lake, Millerton Lake, and Eastman Lake. All are stocked with trout but also offer trophy bass and panfish. Prepare to be broiled in the summer. It gets hot down there.

Best nearby trout streams to fish are the upper San Joaquin River and its high-mountain forks and tributaries. The deep and swift San Joaquin above Mammoth Pool Reservoir holds many a lunker trout, but one can only reach it by exhaustingly steep and dangerous trails. If you're a backpacker or horseman, give it a shot. The trailheads are up near Clover Meadow Campground.

Otherwise, get a backcountry atlas that includes Sierra National Forest and find places where small streams meander near roads, trails or campgrounds. You'll need to drive at least an hour and a half to find most of these spots. Near campgrounds, these beautiful little creeks are typically planted with trout in the spring and early summer (go to the DFG fishing page for stocking schedules). In other areas, you'll find small wild trout. Catch and release them, please. If you're searching a road map, look for Rock Creek, Granite Creek, Chiquito Creek, Big Creek, Fish Creek, Willow Creek, Grizzly Creek, Whiskey Creek and Lewis Creek.

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