McMurray Lake

McMurray Lake is a lake in Nevada County, California and covers about 11.6 acres, reaches about 17.4 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 80.9 acre-feet.

McMurray Lake is small water, so a careful lap around the bank can show most of the useful cover.

Fish and Baits

Fish listed for McMurray Lake include Brook Trout, Brown Trout, and Rainbow Trout.

To begin with rainbow trout on McMurray Lake, cast a small spoon, inline spinner, light jig, or fly through cool water.

Start the brown trout search on McMurray Lake by trying to work a small minnow bait, spoon, or streamer along cool breaks and moving water.

How to Read the 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; search one cove before changing areas, then separate open water from cover.

Season by Season

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; cast across the break instead of along it, then match lure size to the fish.

A Simple Tackle Plan

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; move only after checking the nearby drop; try the first deep shelf after the bank, then match lure size to the fish.

Record the wind, water color, depth where the lure was hit, 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; follow the old channel through the lake, then keep the first route short.