Walker Lake is a reservoir in California, near Mendocino County.
Walker Lake in Mendocino County is a reservoir in California and covers about 27.9 acres, reaches about 29.9 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 185 acre-feet.
Walker Lake is compact enough to fish slowly, but a change in weeds or bottom can still split it into separate patterns.
Fish listed for Walker Lake include Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Sacramento Pikeminnow, Sacramento Sucker, and Rainbow Trout.
For black crappie on Walker Lake, fish a small jig or minnow around wood, weeds, and sharp little drops.
A useful bluegill plan on Walker Lake is to use a small jig, worm, or tiny plastic around green weeds and protected pockets.
Start the largemouth bass search on Walker Lake by trying to work a soft plastic, jig, or spinnerbait around weeds and protected cover.
One direct channel catfish tactic on Walker Lake is to fish cut bait or a nightcrawler on the bottom along a channel edge or warm flat.
Other targets listed here include Rainbow Trout, and Common Carp; give each one its own bait and depth instead of trying to catch everything with the same rig; start with the cover closest to deep water, then use stronger line beside wood and sharp rock.
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; check the downwind corner for food, then fish the windy and calm sides differently.
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; follow a short creek arm, then note the exact cover that gives a bite.
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; test a point before fishing a featureless bank; search one cove before changing areas, then fish the edge from top to bottom.
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; work a quiet shoreline, then make the next cast parallel to the edge.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.