Today's Best Fishing Times for
Clovis, United States 🇺🇸

Fishing Overview Clovis

Fishing near Clovis, CA centers on two main reservoirs—Millerton Lake on the San Joaquin River and Pine Flat Lake on the Kings River—plus a web of canals, small ponds, and nearby Sierra streams. Each water has a distinct seasonal rhythm, so planning around water temperature and runoff is key to finding consistent action.

Spring is prime time around Clovis. At Millerton and Pine Flat, rising water and warming shallows pull largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass toward gravel pockets, flooded brush, and gently sloping points. Focus on 5–20 feet with finesse worms, Ned rigs, and small jigs in natural shad or green pumpkin tones. Wind-blown banks with chunk rock often hold the better smallmouth and spots. When water has some stain from snowmelt, reaction baits like spinnerbaits and squarebill crankbaits excel on secondary points.

Both reservoirs also produce excellent trout and landlocked salmon in spring. Troll main-lake channels and long points with small spoons, trolling flies, or hoochies behind dodgers. Watch your sonar for bait balls; most rainbow trout and kokanee ride 10–40 feet early, dropping deeper as the sun gets higher. Subtle color changes—switching from chrome to UV or from chartreuse to pink—often matter more than lure size on pressured weekends.

In summer, surface temps push fish deeper. Bass slide to offshore structure: submerged river channels, island tops, and long tapering points. Early and late, work topwaters—walking baits, poppers, or buzzbaits—around rocky points and over 15–25 feet of water. Once the sun is up, switch to drop-shot rigs, Carolina rigs, or football jigs dragged slowly down ledges in 25–45 feet. Light fluorocarbon and smaller plastics draw more bites in the clear water common around Clovis.

Catfishing peaks on warm nights. Target shallow flats adjacent to the main river channels with cut shad, anchovy, or prepared stink baits. A simple slip-sinker rig with a 1/0–3/0 circle hook is all you need; let the fish load the rod before you reel steadily to avoid pulled hooks. Canals and farm ponds around the Clovis–Fresno fringe can also kick out quality catfish, carp, and panfish—look for deeper bends, culverts, and where two ditches intersect.

Fall brings some of the most stable fishing. Cooling water pushes baitfish shallow, and bass follow. Work medium-running crankbaits and small swimbaits along rocky banks, then slow down with jigs once you find concentrations of fish. Trout and salmon often slide up in the water column again; flatline trolling or shallow leadcore passes at first light can be productive. Keep moving until you contact active schools, then circle back through them from multiple angles.

During winter, success depends on slowing down and fishing vertical. Both Millerton and Pine Flat reward anglers who watch electronics closely. Drop spoons or drop-shot rigs directly to marks in 40–70 feet, gently shaking but keeping the lure almost in place. Bass, trout, and even the occasional kokanee will suspend around bait in the old river channels. Dress for cold, windy conditions; open water can be harsh, but the bite can be excellent when pressure is low.

Throughout the year, pay attention to water clarity and level changes. Rising water often pushes fish shallow into new cover, while dropping water pulls them to the first available breakline. Around Clovis, mobility and adaptability—switching from trolling to finesse bass gear to simple bait rigs as conditions shift—consistently produce more fish.