For many years, Millerton Reservoir northeast of Fresno had the reputation among local anglers of being the San Joaquin Valley’s equivalent of the “Dead Sea.” Fortunately, the black bass fishery at the lake has rebounded in recent years, a combination of the introduction of spotted bass by the DFG and plants of Florida-strain largemouth bass by the Fresno Bass Club.

The Department of Fish and Game stocked 200 Alabama spotted bass in the lake in 1976. By 1980, the spotted bass fishery had become well established and has continued to thrive. The spotted bass, unlike their smallmouth and largemouth cousins, were adapted to spawning in a reservoir with rapidly fluctuating water levels in the spring like Millerton, since they spawned deeper than the other two bass species.

The “spots” also continue actively feeding during the winter after the smallmouth and largemouth fishing shuts down. “Before we introduced the spots to Millerton, an angler would have to endure the cold all day to just catch one or two smallmouth bass,” said Dennis Lee, DFG senior fishery biologist. “After the spotted bass were introduced, you could expect to catch 20 or more fish per day during the winter.”

The success of the spotted bass population become apparent when Lee and another biologist went to the lake in January, a time when they would expect to see hardly any fishing boats on the lake, several years after the fish were introduced. But on this day, Lee and the other DFG staffer saw over 30 boat trailers. After getting out on the lake in their boat, they saw anglers catching lots of spotted bass throughout the reservoir, making it clear that the introduction of the hard-fighting spots was a huge boon to the Millerton fishery.

The Fresno Bass Club has also helped to enhance the bass fishery at Millerton by planting a total of 10,000 2-inch Florida-strain bass fingerlings in the lake from 1999 to 2003, according to club president Larry Hodges. Each year the club organized anglers in 20 boats to place the fish around trees and cover throughout the lake to protect the fish from predators.

The group had to stop the plants after the local hatchery that supplied the bass went out of business, but the results of their stocking program are already becoming evident by increasing catches of big largemouths at Millerton. For example, a 7.59 lb. largemouth bass took big fish honors during the Future Pro Tour Tournament at Millerton Lake on June 3. The big fish enabled the team of Nevada Bretz and Dean Martin to take second place in the event with 12.25 lbs.

In addition to the recent plants, the club participated in a live willow habitat project on the lake in the late 1980’s. Because of the success at Millerton, the club is now doing a similar project at Pine Flat Reservoir.

Although largemouths are showing in increasing numbers, spotted bass definitely comprise the bulk of Millerton catches. In fact, Bobby Tilford and Dana McGriff captured first place – and took home $1125 – with a limit weighing 13.45 lbs. during the recent Future-Pro event. All of the fish in the winning limit were spotted bass.

“We caught the fish while Carolina-rigging with plastic lizards in 12 to 15 feet of water,” Tilford stated. “Our limit ranged in size from 2 lbs. 2 ounces to 3.48 pounds. We caught all of the fish in a little bitty area and went through a total of 20 bass to catch our limit.”

Although Pine Flat has bigger spotted bass and largemouth bass, Millerton is still a “dynamite” lake to fish for spotted bass, observed Jeff Huth at Valley Rod & Gun in Fresno.

“The lake’s facilities, including its launch ramps and day use areas, are next to none in the area,” said Huth. “And anytime you have the numbers of spotted bass that Millerton does, you have a great fishery for the general public, as well as for tournament anglers.”

During the Future Pro weigh-in at Grange Grove on the lake’s south end (Fresno side) the popularity of this lake was evident, since a horde of recreational boaters and anglers were either coming in or out of the water as the tournament participants loaded their boats on the trailers,

All of the methods used to take spotted bass at other California lakes work at Millerton. Fishing can be good year round, though the action is best in the spring when the fish are on their pre-spawn and post spawn bites.

Drop shotting with Robo Worms and other plastics, split shotting with worms, tossing out spinnerbaits, Carolina-rigging lizards, and top water fishing with small Ricos, Spooks and Pop R’s are among the productive methods to use at Millerton throughout the course of the year.

Millerton Lake is unique for having the only self-sustaining population of American shad in the state, as well as a small population of striped bass. The shad and stripers were introduced by the DFG after the fish were rescued from canals in the San Joaquin Valley sometime in the 1960’s, according to Lee.

Although stocks of fish supplemented the striped bass in the ensuing years, the shad population was completely self-sustaining.

A small, unique sleeper fishery for American shad has developed in the spring and summer when these landlocked fish move up the San Joaquin River to spawn. The few guys who target the fish toss out small jigs and flies in May, June and July just like they do for the anadromous populations in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River systems.

Although predominately plankton feeders, the shad also forage on threadfin shad. When the American shad are feeding on the smaller shad, anglers can target them with spoons and minnow imitation lures.

“It’s really neat to see the shad in schools, shoulder to shoulder, moving just under the surface as they feed on plankton,” noted Huth. “If you want to target them when they’re feeding on bait fish, use 1/8 ounce Kastmasters or crappie jigs. Most of the shad range from 12 to 16 inches long.”

A hardcore group of anglers targets the stripers, with the best action taking place during the summer. Anglers catch the stripers on Zara Spooks, Pencil Poppers, broken-back Rebels, salt water Chug Bugs and other top water lures in the headwaters of the lake when the fish are feeding on shad. The largest documented striped bass at Millerton was a 54 pounder taken in a net by DFG biologist Dale Mitchell in 1980.

”Striped bass fishing is tough at the lake,” emphasized Huth. “The fish move up and down with the bait, since there is not a lot of structure and wood to hold the stripers.”

The lack of structure and cover also results in a marginal crappie and bluegill fishery at Millerton, although anglers will occasionally find a school of crappie and bag a bunch of them on jigs and minnows. White and channel catfish are also found in the lake, but night fishing, the best time to target them, is limited to campers fishing from shore or guys anchored all night in a boat, discouraging most anglers from fishing for cats.

Though a variety of species swim in the waters of Millerton, it is very clear that the abundant spotted bass reigns supreme over this popular warm water fishery.      

Millerton Reservoir Facts  

History and size: Millerton State Recreation Area is located on the San Joaquin River 20 minutes northeast of Fresno in the rolling foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The lake was formed when Friant Dam was constructed on the San Joaquin in 1944. The Central Valley Project reservoir, maintained and operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, supplies water to San Joaquin Valley farmers through the Friant-Kern and Madera canals. The lake has 4900 surface acres when full. The reservoir surface level is 578 feet above sea level and the lake holds 520,500 acre feet of water when full.  

Fishing Season: Fishing is open year round for spotted bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, American shad, channel catfish, white catfish, crappie, bluegill and other species.  

Boating: Millerton’s shoreline has three launch ramps with parking nearby. Two boat ramps #1 and #2-5 – are found in the South Shore Recreation area. One ramp - #6- is located in the North Shore Recreation Area. Snacks, beverages, bait and boat rentals are available at Winchell Cove Marina.  

Picnicking: Picnic areas with barbecue grills and restrooms surround the lake. Groups of up to 100 may reserve the Grange Grove Picnic area. South Finegold – reachable by car and boat - has tables, wood stoves and a shaded Ramada that can accommodate 150 people.  

Camping: The north shore has 148 developed sites among oak and gray pine woodlands, 27 with electricity hookups. Each site has a table, stove and drinking water. Two group campgrounds can accommodate from 40 to 75 people.

Boat Camping: Temperance Flat has 25 first-come, first-served sites reachable by boat. North Finegold can hold 15 fully contained boats.

General Information: Millerton State Recreation Area, P.O. Box 205, Friant, CA. 93626, (559) 822-2332.  

Fishing Information: Valley Rod & Gun, 2704 Clovis Ave. Clovis CA. 93612, (559) 292-3474, Fisherman's Warehouse. 4175 E. Ashlan Ave. Fresno, CA. (559) 225-1838.

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