Pine Flat Lake Fishing
Fresno County, CDFW Central Region, 5,334 acres.
- 6launches
- 5,334acres
- 954 ftelevation
Photo, nearby stand in for Pine Flat Lake: David Prasad, CC BY-SA 2.0
Pine Flat Lake, the short version
Look for Pine Flat Lake in Fresno County, a lake in the Central Region of CDFW. Its listed surface area is 5,334 acres. It sits near 954 feet above sea level. From Orange Cove, the drive covers about 18 miles in a straight line. 1,000,000 acre-feet fit behind Pine Flat Dam, which blocks Kings River.
The Fishing Guide marks black bass, catfish, hatchery trout and adult salmon. The lake has 6 mapped launches on file, 6 of them named. Hatchery trucks visited on 5 weeks from 2025-11-16 to 2026-03-29. CDFW notes fuel on site.
Pine Flat Lake, per CDFW
“Pine Flat Lake has a steep, rocky shoreline with brushy coves and a frequently fluctuating water level.”
“Be alert for boating hazards.”
“Marina, bait & tackle, propane, store, and RV sites with hookups.”
Quoted from the CDFW Fishing Guide entry for Pine Flat Lake (source). Checked October 2026.
Launch points on Pine Flat Lake
- Pine Flat Lake (Deer Creek Ramp)boat launch
- Pine Flat Lake (Island Park Ramp)boat launch
- Pine Flat Lake (Lakeview Ramp)boat launch
- Pine Flat Lake (Trimmer Ramp)9 lanes, 450 trailer spaces, restrooms
- Pine Flat Marina / Lombardo's Lakeview Resort1 lane, restrooms
- Trimmer Recreation Area Campgroundmarina launch, restrooms, US Army Corps of Engineers
Put-ins around Pine Flat Lake
- Kirch FlatKings River, 7 miles east
- Avocado Lake Fishing AccessAvocado Lake, 10 miles southwest
- Hermit's Hole Day Use Areaboat launch, 12 miles east
- Kings River AccessKings River, 15 miles southwest
Operators behind the Pine Flat Lake launches: US Army Corps of Engineers (1).
DBW Boating Facilities, USFS recreation sites and OpenStreetMap slipways, checked October 2026.
Water on hand at Pine Flat Lake
CDEC station PNF (US Army Corps of Engineers), reading dated 2026-10-09. Station page with the live chart.
Species at Pine Flat Lake
CDFW Fishing Guide species flags; CDFW publishes no fuller species list for most waters.
Hatchery plants at Pine Flat Lake
| Species | Size | Program | Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Trout | Sub-catchable | Put and Grow | January-April, June & November-December |
| Chinook Salmon | Fingerling | Put and Grow | April-June |
| Rainbow Trout | Catchable | Put and Take | January-April, June & November-December |
CDFW Fish Planting Schedule and the 2026 Provisional Stocking Document. California trout stocking.
Rules on the water at Pine Flat Lake
No special rule names Pine Flat Lake, so the statewide inland lake limits below apply.
| Species | Daily bag | Size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black bass | 5 a day | 12 in minimum | All year |
| Trout | 5 a day | none | All year |
| Striped bass | 2 a day | 18 in minimum | All year except closures in special regulations |
| Sunfish and crappie | 25 a day | none | All year, except closures under district or special regulations |
| Catfish | no limit | none | All year, except closures under special regulations |
| Kokanee and inland salmon | 5 a day | none | All year |
Inland rules at Pine Flat Lake follow the Valley District.
CDFW 2026 Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations, checked October 2026. All California limits.
Sizing up Pine Flat Lake and its neighbors
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation (ft) | Launches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Flat Lake | 5,334 | 954 | 6 | |
| Avocado Lake | 10 miles southwest | 83 | 300 | 1 |
| Black Rock Reservoir | 15 miles east | 0 | ||
| Shaver Lake | 18 miles north | 2,161 | 5,370 | 3 |
| Hatch Lake | 19 miles northeast | 7.6 | 8,933 | 0 |
| Sportsman Lake | 20 miles northeast | 10.4 | 9,256 | 0 |
Past Pine Flat Lake
Close-by lakes to Pine Flat Lake
- Avocado Lake10 miles southwest
- Black Rock Reservoir15 miles east
- Shaver Lake18 miles north
- Hatch Lake19 miles northeast
- Sportsman Lake20 miles northeast
Gear and bait by Pine Flat Lake
- Dinkey Creek Inn & General Storemarina, Shaver Lake, 15 miles
- Shaver Lake Liquor & Beermarina, Shaver Lake, 16 miles
- Shaver Lake Sportsmarina, Shaver Lake, 16 miles
- Captain Jack's Tacklebait and tackle shop, Fresno, 16 miles
- Shaver Lake Marinamarina, Shaver Lake, 17 miles
- Wishon Villagemarina, Shaver Lake, 18 miles
CDFW agents close to Pine Flat Lake
- The I Forgot Storelicense agent, 4 miles
- Mr 5 Food Martlicense agent, 7 miles
- Tivy Valley Marketlicense agent, 10 miles
Places to base near Pine Flat Lake
- Squaw Valley11 miles
- Shaver Lake16 miles
- Auberry18 miles
Pine Flat Lake county by county
- Fresno Countyseat: Fresno
Pine Flat Lake questions, answered briefly
How do I map a route to Pine Flat Lake?
Look in Fresno County, about 18 miles from Orange Cove.
Is Pine Flat Lake a large lake?
5,334 acres on the CDFW entry.
Will Pine Flat Lake take a trailered boat?
Records show 6 launches, such as Pine Flat Marina / Lombardo's Lakeview Resort.
What should I target at Pine Flat Lake?
CDFW flags black bass, catfish, hatchery trout and adult salmon.
Is Pine Flat Lake planted with trout?
The newest plant week was 2026-03-29 (5 in all).
Is Pine Flat Lake catch and release?
Statewide inland lake limits apply.
Which license covers Pine Flat Lake?
The resident license runs $64.54, good for 365 days.
Does a station track the level of Pine Flat Lake?
The level box above shows the latest reading from CDEC.
Is a tackle counter close to Pine Flat Lake?
Dinkey Creek Inn & General Store, about 15 miles from the water.
Try Pine Flat Lake this season
License prices and every statewide limit sit on one page.