Patterson Lake is a reservoir in California, near El Dorado County.
Patterson Lake in El Dorado County is a reservoir in California and covers about 25 acres, reaches about 29.1 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 350 acre-feet.
Patterson Lake can be broken down in a few passes: shallow cover, the first break, and the deepest useful water.
Fish listed for Patterson Lake include Sacramento Pikeminnow, Sacramento Sucker, and Rainbow Trout.
A useful rainbow trout plan on Patterson Lake is to cast a small spoon, inline spinner, light jig, or fly through cool water.
Do not let the deepest number control the whole day; nearby cover, firm bottom, and food usually matter more than the deepest hole by itself; follow a short creek arm, then use the same depth on the next similar feature.
Early in the year, protected water and the first warm afternoon can be the best clues; as the water heats up, check deeper edges without assuming every fish is on the bottom; cooling fall water often makes points and firm banks useful again; check the clean side of wind, then watch for food before choosing lure depth.
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; make short moves after each pass; fish the first useful drop, then give low-light water a slower bottom pass.
Record the wind, water color, depth beside the clean edge, 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; test the quiet side before the windy side, then separate open-water fish from bank fish.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.