Clear Lake

Why we chose this lake

The Abu 100’s first fishery in the West makes the list largely because of its phenomenal bass fishing opportunities. Clear Lake is warm, relatively shallow and loaded with rich nutrients that help bass grow. While also being a hotspot for those in search of catfish, carp and crappie, it’s the lake’s tule fields that call to bass anglers, who key on this shoreline-hugging aquatic vegetation because it holds so many bass. With 43,800 acres of surface area, Clear Lake is the largest lake located entirely in the state of California. The fishery, which is located inside of an ancient volcanic crater, is also the oldest lake in California with an estimated age of 2.5 million years. A population of crawdads estimated to be in excess of 1 million plus a rich forage-fish population provide bass the chance to pack on the pounds, as evidenced by 17.52-pound lake record caught in 1990. Double-digit-weight bass are common on Clear Lake, making it one of the nation’s best places to fish.