Winter doesn’t mean the end of fishing season at Big Bear Lake! With a few tweaks to your process and gear, it’s just the start of a new season! Of course, our comfortable cabins will always be here for you at any time of year. If you’re in need of the perfect angler’s get-away, book your reservation now.
Winter Fishing Gear
Water-resistant parkas and coats are a must for winter fishing. The water resistance not only keeps you dry, but makes keeping yourself clean easier, too. When selecting gloves, make sure you find a pair that is water resistant, but not bulky like snow gloves. Specialty fishing and hunting gloves are specifically made thin enough to allow for maximum dexterity, a must have when handling your gear. Make sure you opt for water resistant boots as well to give yourself traction along muddy shorelines.
Winter Fishing Techniques
You’ll have best luck with biting on days that the water temperature is above 40 degrees. This means you’ll probably want to hit the lake towards the middle of the day, when temperatures are higher and avoid fishing when you’ve had several nights of below freezing temperatures.
Rain is a good sign for winter anglers. It tends to jostle the fish’s food into action, thus making your potential catches more active.
Your best bet for a catch will be trout as they tend to keep searching for food even in the cooler weather. Trout, bluegill and other fish common to Big Bear Lake usually group around rocks and cover such as grasses or logs in early winter or on warmer winter days. When the temperature dips, they’ll head to the deeper areas to find warmer groundwater; look for areas of over a yard deep.
Winter Fishing Locations at Big Bear Lake
The marinas at Big Bear Lake typically close for the season in November, and reopen in early spring, so you’ll need to find a good spot on shore to do your winter fishing. Try just off North Shore Drive and Hwy 18 near the dam. This is an excellent spot, since parking is readily available.
We hope this helps you reel in your next fishing trip plans. Don’t forget to spend it with us here at Big Bear Frontier!
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