Mariposa County Fishing Reports

The trout action at McClure has been very good over the last month or so. Three 1,000+ pound stocks have gone in since late February, and holdovers are getting more aggressive higher in the water column. Trollers are running spoons around the upper part of the lake, hooking into some nice 3 to 4 pound fish along with the occasional salmon. Shore casters are working the shoreline early in the morning on the outer edges of McClure Point, either throwing spoons or soaking Powerbait, hooking mostly stockers.

The bass bite is picking up as water temps push into the low 60s. Spotted bass are moving shallow near steep rocky shorelines and points. Largemouth are pushing shallow on the south end of the lake, easing into the back of warm coves to begin their spawning patterns. Soft plastics and small jigs have been best.

Lake McClure has been fishing well, with the most consistent action coming from the main lake rather than the arms. Bass have been grouped on rock piles, points, ledges, and defined drop-offs, showing a strong preference for areas with moderate stain around 3–4 feet of visibility. Ultra-clear water has been noticeably tougher, both up the arms and in clearer main-lake sections. Bass schools are still there feeding on bait, but scatter quickly once one or two fish are caught from the school.

Trout anglers are finding success trolling blade-and-crawler combos within the top 15 feet, especially during the first-light window.