Reservoir · Mixed · Northern California, US

Lake Davis

Lake Davis venue image

Rich Sierra reservoir up by Portola, holding chunky wild rainbows that grow fat on a diet of blood midges and damsels.

Fair · Rainbow
Balanced Leech · 8-12
Fairlive now
Reasonable autumn fishing likely at Lake Davis
Glassy and bright — hard work without a breeze. Hard work without breeze. Look for the dimples.
56% confidence

Lake Davis is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSE 4 km/hCalm · Gusts to 10 km/h
Today's fly
Balanced Leech
Balanced Leech8-12
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Calm · Gusts to 10 km/h
SE 4 km/h
N
SE
from the south-east
WaveFlat calm
Water temp10.0°C
Air temp7°C
CloudClear
Pressure1023 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Ice-off spring and autumn; summer damsel/Callibaetis
Where
Start with Balanced Leech (8-12) on a As per local method. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Balanced Leech (8-12) on a As per local method. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.

Plan B

A fry-imitating pattern stripped through the margins can save a blank in autumn.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Bank

Flat calm suits bank fishing near features — points, weed beds, and inflows where fish patrol.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Flying AntsHatch
1
2
1
Gray DrakeHatch
1
1
CallibaetisHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
CH
Chironomid
12-16 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • CDFW regulations — verify.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
52%
Cloud25%
Wind65%
Temp60%

A reasonable day here, though cloud isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Fishing better nearby · 5
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Rich Sierra reservoir up by Portola, holding chunky wild rainbows that grow fat on a diet of blood midges and damsels. This is premier stillwater nymphing — a static blood midge fished over the weed beds under an indicator is the classic Davis method, and the trick is varying your depth until you find the band the fish are sitting in. Tube and boat water. Ice-off in spring and the autumn are the prime windows, with damsel and Callibaetis fishing through the summer.

  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Not assessed
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Davis Lake (Plumas County)' (CAL5183401020020418135013), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Insufficient Information. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · CAL5183401020020418135013

Why this score
  • autumn conditions with clear skies and calm wind.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Booking & contacts