Tulare Lake
Tulare Lake or Tache Lake (Yokuts: Pah-áh-su, Pah-áh-sē) is an ephemeral freshwater lake in the southern San Joaquin Valley, within the Central Valley region of the U.S. state of California. Find it 11 mi west of Corcoran. The best weather comes with February, March, April, October and November, at 63–80°F.
A lake, 11 mi west of Corcoran
Summers are hot
July and August highs run 96–98°, and about 121 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 93K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 96% of the 7,799 attractions we track.
Corcoran is the nearest base
Corcoran is 11 miles east, with 5 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Fresno
Fresno is about 50 miles north (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct and Nov
February, March, April, October and November are the mild months, with highs of 63–80°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Below are typical highs and lows near Tulare Lake.
Tulare Lake
Tulare Lake or Tache Lake (Yokuts: Pah-áh-su, Pah-áh-sē) is an ephemeral freshwater lake in the southern San Joaquin Valley, within the Central Valley region of the U.S. state of California. Historically, Tulare Lake was once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River in surface area. For thousands of years, from the Paleolithic onward, Tulare Lake was a uniquely rich area, which supported perhaps the largest population of Native Americans north of present-day Mexico.
In the second half of the 19th century, Tulare Lake was dried up by diverting its tributaries for irrigation and municipal water uses. In modern times, it is usually a dry lake with residual wetlands and marshes. The lake reappears during unusually high levels of rainfall or snowmelt as it did in 1942, 1969, 1983, 1997, 1998, and 2023.
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 687 square miles
- Elevation
- 184 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 93K a year
Overnight near Tulare Lake
To stay close, try Corcoran (5) and Hanford (10).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Tulare Lake | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corcoran | 11 mi east | 15 min | 5 2 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 1 RV park | 22,358 | $236K | C |
| Hanford | 19 mi north | 30 min | 10 5 hotels · 2 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 62,229 | $349K | C |
| Tulare | 25 mi east | 35 min | 19 11 hotels · 6 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 73,907 | $330K | C− |
| Lemoore | 16 mi north | 25 min | 5 4 hotels · 1 motel | 27,291 | $328K | C |
| Visalia | 30 mi northeast | 45 min | 23 16 hotels · 4 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground | 146,541 | $372K | C− |
| Kettleman City | 13 mi west | 20 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 motel | 1,002 | $141K | — |
| Lemoore Station | 16 mi northwest | 25 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 lodge or cabins | 6,175 | — | — |
| Home Garden | 18 mi north | 25 min | 1 1 lodge or cabins | 1,806 | $165K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Places to add to Tulare Lake
All of these are within 70 miles.
Big draw64 mi National ParkSequoia National Park1.4M visitors a year
52 mi Stadium & arenaValley Children's Stadium
52 mi MuseumForestiere Underground Gardens
70 mi National forestSequoia National Forest
64 mi MountainMoro Rock
51 mi Stadium & arenaSave Mart Center
57 mi MuseumMission San Miguel Arcángel
63 mi Stadium & arenaDignity Health ArenaPhoto credits
Sequoia National Park: Alberto Carrasco Casado, CC BY 2.0 · Valley Children's Stadium: Emedina00, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Forestiere Underground Gardens: R&sbwn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sequoia National Forest: US Forest Service, Public domain · Moro Rock: DiverDave, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Save Mart Center: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Mission San Miguel Arcángel: Jsweida, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dignity Health Arena: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
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Asked about Tulare Lake
What town is Tulare Lake near?
Corcoran, CA, about 11 miles east.
When is the best time to visit Tulare Lake?
February, March, April, October and November, with highs of 63–80°.
How far is Tulare Lake from Fresno and Bakersfield?
About 50 miles north of Fresno and about 63 miles southeast of Bakersfield, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Tulare Lake?
Fresno Yosemite (FAT), about 49 miles away.
Where should I stay near Tulare Lake?
Corcoran (11 mi, 5 places to stay), Hanford (19 mi, 10 places to stay) and Tulare (25 mi, 19 places to stay).
Advice from Corcoran
People in Corcoran have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.