Gates Lake is a lake in California, near Fresno County.
Gates Lake is a lake in Fresno County, California and covers about 7.2 acres, reaches about 15.3 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 43.9 acre-feet.
One weed edge or deeper pocket can hold much of the day’s activity; check a protected pocket after sunrise, then slow the bait when a good edge appears.
Fish listed for Gates Lake include Prickly Sculpin, Sacramento Blackfish, Sacramento Sucker, and Rainbow Trout.
While looking for rainbow trout on Gates Lake, cast a small spoon, inline spinner, light jig, or fly through cool water.
Make one shallow pass and one deeper pass on the same shoreline; that shows whether fish are tight to cover or using the first break; keep the first pass close to structure, then keep the presentation close to useful cover.
Early in the year, protected water and the first warm afternoon can be the best clues; as the water heats up, check deeper edges without assuming every fish is on the bottom; cooling fall water often makes points and firm banks useful again; check rock and weeds as separate patterns, then test a point before fishing a featureless bank.
A light spinning rod, thin line, a few small spoons, inline spinners, and jigs cover the listed trout; carry one slightly heavier setup when other fish or windy water call for more control; check the first shelf outside shallow cover; begin where shallow cover meets depth, then use wind to narrow the search.
Record the wind, water color, depth of the first good pass, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce; try a natural color before a loud pattern.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.