Donner Lake is a lake in California, near Nevada County.
Donner Lake is a lake in Nevada County, California and covers about 830.8 acres, reaches about 55.1 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 10,300 acre-feet.
There is enough room for fish to move at Donner Lake, so compare a protected side with a windblown bank before settling on one depth. Deep water at Donner Lake gives fish room to move away from shore as summer heat and bright light build.
Fish listed for Donner Lake include Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Lahontan Redside, Mountain Whitefish, Kokanee Salmon, Speckled Dace, Rainbow Trout, Tahoe Sucker, and Tui Chub.
For rainbow trout, cast a small spoon, inline spinner, light jig, or fly through cool water; fish the windy and calm sides differently.
To begin with brown trout on this water, work a small minnow bait, spoon, or streamer along cool breaks and moving water.
Make one shallow pass and one deeper pass on the same shoreline; that shows whether fish are tight to cover or using the first break; work an old channel turn, then make the next cast parallel to the edge.
In spring, start with warming banks, creek mouths, and shallow cover; summer usually pushes the better bite toward the outside weed edge or a nearby drop; fall can bring bait back to windblown points, while winter calls for smaller moves and a slower pace; follow the outside weed line, then note the exact cover that gives a bite.
A light spinning rod, thin line, a few small spoons, inline spinners, and jigs cover the listed trout; carry one slightly heavier setup when other fish or windy water call for more control; slow the bait when a good edge appears; fish where rock meets mud, then watch water color during the day.
Record the wind, water color, depth where the school held, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce; change depth before changing the whole spot, then keep the first route short.
Work a small spinner, spoon, fly, or natural bait around cool water and broken rock; separate open-water fish from bank fish.
Treat 55.1 feet as the deepest point, not the automatic fishing depth; start near cover and move deeper only when bites or bait give a reason.
Move after checking the same useful feature at several depths without finding bait, a clean edge, or a bite; keep the first pass close to structure, then fish the same shape nearby.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.