Clear Lake (California)

General data

Water type: Natural lake
Progression: Cache Creek (Sacramento tributary) -> Sacramento River -> Suisun Bay -> Carquinez Strait -> San Pablo Bay -> San Francisco Bay -> Golden Gate strait -> Pacific Ocean -> Planet Earth
Climates: Temperate
Continents: North America
Countries: United States of America

Description

Clear Lake (Pomo: Lypoyomi) is a natural freshwater lake in Lake County in the U.S. state of California, north of Napa County and San Francisco. It is the largest natural freshwater lake wholly within the state, with 68 square miles (180 km2) of surface area. At an age of 0.5 million years, it is the oldest lake in North America. It is the latest lake to occupy a site with a history of lakes stretching back at least 2,500,000 years. Clear Lake supports large populations of largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, carp and catfish. Two-thirds of the fish caught in Clear Lake are largemouth bass, with a record of 17.52 pounds (7.95 kg). In addition to fish, there is abundant wildlife within the Clear Lake basin. There are year-round populations of ducks, pelicans, grebes, blue herons, egrets, osprey, and bald eagles, and the basin supports sizable populations of deer, bear, mountain lion, raccoon and other animals. The expansive, warm water of Clear Lake makes it popular for watersports, such as swimming, water skiing, wakeboarding, sailing, boat races, and jet skiing.

Streams

Scotts Creek

Cypriniformes - Carps

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Siluriformes - Catfishes

Brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)

Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)

Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris)

Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes

Largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans)

Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)

Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)

White crappie (Pomoxis annularis)

Redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)

Catches