FISHING
Plumas County’s 1,000 miles of streams and more than 100 lakes of the Feather River watershed make for a wonderful, varied and famous fishery. Every type of angler will find plenty of awe-inspiring places to reel them in. Rainbow trout are the predominant game fish, but brown trout and brook trout have also been established in many waterways. A special strain of trout, known as Eagle Lake rainbow trout, is found in many of the major lakes. Trophy Mackinaw (lake trout) are a big draw at Bucks Lake and Gold Lake. Smallmouth bass have become a big attraction at Lake Almanor. Other local species include kokanee and king salmon, largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish. Fishing season: Lakes are open to fishing year-round. The stream season usually opens on the last Saturday of April and closes in the middle of November. Some streams, such as tributaries to Lake Almanor and Bucks Lake, are not open until the end of May and close at the end of September. Some waters, like Yellow Creek, have special barbless catchand-release provisions. Check the current California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations pamphlet for specific dates and limits.
Rick Marchus
catch the big one!
You might catch a big brown trout like this one at Bucks Lake while looking for the trophy-size Mackinaw trout of which the current lake record is more than 30 pounds.
Fishing Events - 2013-14
Lakes All of the larger lakes and some of the smaller ones have boating facilities (see chart next page). Most of the lakes are subject to strong afternoon winds, so use caution with small boats or float tubes. Most of Plumas County’s lakes have rainbow trout and most types of bait, lures and fly-fishing work well from shore or from boats. Deep trolling with lead core line or downriggers is usually an effective way to take large browns, rainbows, salmon and Mackinaw as the water warms during the summer. Check with local sport shops to find out what is happening at the moment. Explore and experiment! Lake Almanor is the largest lake in Plumas County. Fishing is generally good year-round, but fall and winter (if it is not
Lena Stokes
Zach Coney
April 27 - Caribou Crossroads Derby .......N. Fork Feather River May 18 - Junior Fishing Day ........................Graeagle Mill Pond June 1 - Junior Fishing Derby .............Pew Pond (Indian Valley) June 15 - Lake Almanor Trout & Salmon Derby .Lake Almanor June 15 - Lake Davis Fishing Derby .........................Lake Davis July 6 - Free Fishing Day .........................All of Plumas County Aug. 3 - Fish For A Wish ......................................Lake Almanor Aug. 10 - Almanor Fishing Assoc. Fundraising BBQ . .Almanor Sept. 7 - Free Fishing Day ........................All of Plumas County Sept. 7 - Youth Fishing Derby ...............Round Valley Reservoir Feb. 1, 2014 - Ice Fishing Tournament .....................Lake Davis
With more than 100 lakes in the Plumas County area, there are an abundance of opportunities for a stringer full of fish like these from Lake Davis (above) while winter fly-fishing or, you could try your luck at Silver Lake in the summer (right).ed.
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2013 - 2014 PLUMAS COUNTY VISITORS GUIDE