�On the dock in front of our cabin, two otters were playing tag, and it was hard to say just who was after whom. Just beyond, the lake stretched for miles, calm and clean, not a boat in sight. Off in the distance, a few puffy cumulus clouds floated over the Cache Creek Ridge, tinged with the dawn�s pink. What a beautiful moment, I remember thinking, when right then, just 40 feet away, a huge bass jumped and landed with a splash, like somebody had dropped a bowling ball out of the sky. The reality was that right in front of me, right to left, from the Narrows through Soda Bay to Clear Lake State Park, there were probably more big bass, 5-pounders and up, than any similar stretch of water in the Western United States.� ~ Tom Stienstra, Outdoor Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, May 18, 2003.

Note: Tom is also the author of California Camping, California Hiking, California Recreational Lakes and Rivers, California Fishing and several other outdoor publications. Tom stayed at the Edgewater Resort during the 2003 Outdoor Writers Associations Spring Conference held in Lake County.

Opportunity abounds year round for the popular sport of fishing on Clear Lake known as the "Bass Capital of the West". Bass tournaments continue to set new records for not only the most weight for five fish limits, but also the most number of big fish over eight pounds! April, May and June are the top months for bass when they're on their spawning beds using shoreline docks and tules for shade.

As with any sport, bass fishing requires some basic knowledge and techniques. Using a guide is a good way to start in the shortest amount of time without spending large amounts of money on equipment. Even if you're an experienced angler but it's your first time fishing on Clear Lake a guide can show you where to catch all the action on the lake.

We can't leave out catfishing. The lake is open 24 hours a day all year and so is our 230' fishing pier where these big cats can be caught fairly easily during the warm summer months. Clear Lake's famous annual catfish derby draws anglers from all over to compete for cash and prizes over $8,000. The derby takes fish from 15 to 20 pounds to place in the money and we've had two guests in the tournament that placed 10th and 15th while fishing right off our pier!

Clear Lake has a 12" minimum on bass with a 5 fish limit. The crappie and blue gill limit is 25 fish and there is no limit on cats. Our general store carries bait and tackle along with many of those last minute items you may have forgotten to bring.