As you may have heard, Coe Park has great fishing, with largemouth bass, green sunfish, crappie, and bluegill in its lakes and ponds and elusive rainbow trout in the waters of its creeks. However, it's important for you to know that: Coe Park has no lakes or creeks you can drive to   (and) the park has very steep, rugged terrain We feel obligated to stress the difficulties of Coe Park fishing trips because of misleading information people sometimes get from sources outside the park.  Crews from television shows and writers of popular books have occasionally been allowed to travel in vehicles to remote areas of the park to assess the fishing potential of lakes and creeks.  They often rave, without exaggeration, about the gorgeous landscapes and the great fishing in the backcountry, but fail to mention the difficulties of reaching such areas without the advantage of vehicles. Most fishing ventures into Coe's backcountry require a considerable expenditure of time and energy.  To go beyond the relatively close-in lakes (Bass Pond and Frog Lake), you'll be faced with elevation gains (and losses) in thousands of feet.  Some of the best fishing is on the far east side of the park, at Paradise and Jackrabbit lakes and Mustang and Kingbird ponds, but it takes at least two days of hard traveling to get to those destinations and at least two days of even harder traveling to get back. Coit Lake and Mississippi Lake, two well known fishing destinations, are relatively easier to reach.  But, to get from park headquarters to Coit Lake and back, you have to travel at least 23 miles and climb at least 4,200 feet, and to get to Mississippi Lake and back, you have to cover more than 22 miles and climb about 5,700 feet. If you'd like to fish in the less accessible areas of the park, without regret (and without having to be rescued), you should be in excellent physical shape and you should plan to spend one or two nights camping on the way in and one or two nights camping on the way out. Spring is the most pleasant season in the park, and it's also the best season for fishing.  Fall and winter, between storms, can be quite nice, but fishing is usually slow during the cooler months and during the hot months of summer.  If you visit the park in the winter, keep in mind that winter rain storms can quickly turn tranquil creeks into raging, impassable torrents.  If you visit in the summer, be well prepared for extremely hot, dry conditions.  Carry extra water; find out which springs, creeks, and reservoirs are reliable sources of summer water; wear a hat; and avoid hiking during the middle of the day. The following table provides information about popular fishing lakes and ponds in the park. The mileages and elevation gains are for the most commonly taken routes. Destination Round Trip Fish Distance (in miles) Elevation Gain (in feet)   Bass Pond 4.5 450 bass, bluegill   Frog Lake (via Corral and Flat Frog trails) 5.5 500 bass, bluegill   Frog Lake (via Monument Trail and the road) 3.0 1,000 bass, bluegill   Mahoney Pond 15.5 2,350 bass, bluegill   Hoover Lake 18.5 4,500 bass   Mississippi Lake 22.0 5,700 bass   Coit Lake 23.0 4,200 bass, bluegill, green sunfish, crappie, catfish   Kelly Lake 24.0 3,700 bass, bluegill, green sunfish, crappie   Kingbird Pond 34.5 8,300 bass   Mustang Pond 40.0 8,550 bass   Jackrabbit Lake 44.0 8,000 bass   Paradise Lake 44.0 8,000 bass Fishing for Rainbow Trout.  These lovely native fish can be found in Coyote Creek and in the South Fork of Orestimba Creek in the northeast corner of the park.  The best trout fishing in Coyote Creek is in the upper stretches of the Middle Fork, where the water usually runs all year, starting a little above Poverty Flat and going northwest to the park's boundary.  Although trout used to be caught somewhat regularly in Mississippi Lake, the last catch reported in the lake was in 1986. All California fishing regulations apply in the park. If you're 16 years old or older, you must have a valid California fishing license.  All park rules and regulations also apply.  If you're going to stay overnight in the backcountry, you must register and get a backpacking permit at the Visitor Center. Please note that we strongly encourage catch-and-release fishing with barbless hooks. You can buy the 40-page, color-illustrated booklet Fishing at Henry W. Coe State Park at the Visitor Center. If you'd like, you can order the booklet by mail (allowing two weeks for delivery). Send a check for $6.75, which includes tax and postage. No self-addressed envelopes, please.  We have custom sized envelopes for the booklet. Make your check payable to the Pine Ridge Association and send it to:   The Pine Ridge Association   9100 East Dunne Ave.   Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Return  to the Coe Park home page