Current Conditions

Clear Lake is currently holding steady at 0.63 foot Rumsey. It is a really nervous time for most locals looking at the lake and then looking at the weather forecasts. For the second consecutive winter we are seeing algae blooms around the lake. The Lucerne shoreline, Horseshoe Bend, and the mid lake area have multiple species of the organism.

Water clarity is good overall around the lake with visibility from about a foot to 3 feet depending on where you are looking. Water temp is holding around 44 to 48.

2013, A Look Back

A short look back to late Winter/early Spring shows that there were a bunch of 30 pound plus bags weighed in during tournaments without the benefit of a big fish. Lots of 5 to 6 1/2 pound fish in angler's bags. We saw the same thing in our results and what other anglers shared with us about their days.

When Spring rolled around we dealt with early algae blooms and winds. Stained water and windy conditions especially in May really took the shine off of our favorite time for sight fishing. We still caught fish and the size held up well, we just had to cover a heck of a lot more water to find the clearer areas.

Summer top water action was up and down. We had some really productive days and some days they just wouldn't come up.

This past Fall and early Winter the bite was good on various cranks, mid sized swim baits, worms, and rattle baits. Fish moved around and the hardest part was just finding small areas that held fish that other anglers were passing up.

Overall, a lot of 25+ pound limits this past year on a variety of techniques. We landed 96 fish of 6 pounds or better in 2013

These two personal best bass were caught by Sue and David. Sue's came in a little over 10 pounds, caught this Fall the day after we fished together showing some areas and a new technique. She and her husband Rich put it together! David's giant came during Mid Spring while drop shotting some prime spawning areas. Both fish came from the Redbud arm, Congrats to both of you!

Here is my best fish of the year @ 18 lbs, one of 3 dozen we caught during my last trip of the year with two buds on New Year's Eve. When these fish are concentrated and on the bite they will flat tear you up! The Delta has it's stripers and Clear Lake has it cats.

2013 was another great year for us. Thanks to everyone for the support, we appreciate it! We saw a lot of new faces this past year, missed some familiar ones who we hope to see back this year, and we are looking to put on another awesome year of fishing here on Clear Lake.

What is New at Clear Lake Guide Service

In an effort to be more current with trip results we started a Face Book page. It won't have postings every day and heck, at this point I am still figuring out how it really works. My commitment is when we post a fish pic it will be a fish 5 pounds or better, it will be held safely, and it will have been released right after the pic was taken. We'll also do our best to have some conditions listed with each week. Also, please note our new email address clearlakeguideservice@gmail.com.

Quagga Program

If your boat was up for registration this year like my two, you have enjoyed the pleasure of giving the state money for a “mussel or invasive species” program. We have already been asked numerous times so here it is, the state sticker does not eliminate or supercede the current Lake County program. There have been no changes to the program here, when you come in from out of the county with your own rig you still need to go through the process to get a current Lake County sticker.

Bookings for 2014

The good news is that people are booking trips in 2014 to take advantage of the outstanding fishing Clear Lake has to offer. March and April have been the two big months over the past ten+ years for trips, people looking for those truly big fish so if your plans for the year include fishing here this Spring, start nailing them down now!

If you want to make it easy, pick a date, show up, and we pretty much take care of the rest regarding your day on the water. If you are coming with your own rig and either aren't familiar with the lake or just want to make the most out of your visit, seriously consider getting with us your first day here to help make the rest of your days more productive. Clear Lake can produce some of the best fishing days you will remember and it can be brutal, it is not an easy lake to fish, regardless of the bags you see posted on tournament results.

Whether you are an experienced bass angler or new to fishing, our skill set and familiarity with this environment will give you a satisfying and enjoyable experience. From swim baits to live bait we can help you catch fish, period.

Closing

Thank you for your continued interest and support of Clear Lake Guide Service! Our business continues to grow with the help of you and your spreading the word and my wife Deb and I both thank you. Good fishing, stay in touch, and keep a tight line.

Miss an Issue of the Clear Lake Report?

We have archived all of our past Clear Lake Report Issues on our Clear Lake Fishing Guide Service website! Go to our Clear Lake Fishing Report Index!

There is a lot of useful information available on the Clear Lake Website. Even insights into the best times to fish the lake and other fishing tips. Local lodging, weather, and even lake level reporting is available through the links we have set up.

Good fishing, and I look forward to seeing you soon!