Stillwater · Mixed · US, US

Frenchman Lake

Shots across the bow - plumas from frenchman - panoramio

Frenchman Lake is a Plumas County reservoir out on the dry, sage-edged side of the Sierra, and it has a reputation for growing rainbows fat and strong.

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

Frenchman Lake is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindW 4 km/hCalm
Today's fly
Balanced Leech
Balanced Leech8-12
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Calm
W 4 km/h
N
W
from the west
WaveFlat calm
Water temp10.2°C
Air temp6°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
Conditions are not ideal but fishable at Frenchman Lake. Flat calm means fish may be spookier — longer leaders and subtler flies will help.
Where
Start with Viva (10-12) on a figure-of-eight with occasional strip. 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. When no hatch is visible, a buzzer team — black stripped quill on the point, attractor or pearl-rib on the top dropper — is the default starting point on any UK stillwater.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Viva (10-12) on a figure-of-eight with occasional strip. 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. When no hatch is visible, a buzzer team — black stripped quill on the point, attractor or pearl-rib on the top dropper — is the default starting point on any UK stillwater.

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

Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

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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
Gray DrakeHatch
2
2
CallibaetisHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Hexagenia (Western)Hatch
2
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2

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
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
Middle Fork Feather River
41 km
77
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Lake Davis
28 km
Rainbow trout
Antelope Lake
46 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Milton Reservoir
55 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Pyramid Lake
56 km
Cutthroat trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Shots across the bow - plumas from frenchman - panoramio
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Frenchman Lake is a Plumas County reservoir out on the dry, sage-edged side of the Sierra, and it has a reputation for growing rainbows fat and strong. It's a Callibaetis lake at heart — those speckled mayflies come off the calm flats and the trout key on them, which makes for some of the most satisfying sight-fishing on stillwater you'll find anywhere this side of the crest. The rest of the time it's a chironomid game, patient and rewarding. Wind is the lake's mood-setter; learn to read it and you've half-solved the place. It fishes best in the cool shoulders of the year, with high summer warming the shallows and sending fish to the cooler depths. Don't overlook the browns holding tight to structure — they're fewer, but they're the ones you'll remember.

  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • autumn conditions with clear skies and calm wind.
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
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