Reservoir · Mixed · Northern California

Lake Almanor

Misty morning at Lake Almanor with a fishing boat at the dock and Mount Lassen rising in the background, Plumas County, California
Fair · Rainbow
Callibaetis Nymph · 12-16
Fairlive now
Reasonable summer fishing likely at Lake Almanor
Glassy and bright — hard work without a breeze. Hard work without breeze. Look for the dimples.
51% confidence
What moved it
  • WindNW 4 km/hCalm
Today's fly
CN
Callibaetis Nymph12-16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Calm
NW 4 km/h
N
NW
from the north-west
WaveFlat calm
Water temp—
Air temp17°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Current conditions suit Lake Almanor well for summer tactics. Flat calm means fish may be spookier — longer leaders and subtler flies will help.
Where
Start with Callibaetis Nymph (12-16) on a slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Callibaetis Nymph (12-16) on a slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.

Plan B

Fish early and late, try deeper during the heat of the day with a fast-sinking line.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

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

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · July 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
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
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • CDFW regulations — verify.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
77%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp100%

A good match for Lake Almanor — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Butte Lake
35 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Manzanita Lake
44 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Bucks Lake
44 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
North Fork Feather River
44 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Eagle Lake
48 km
Rainbow trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Misty morning at Lake Almanor with a fishing boat at the dock and Mount Lassen rising in the background, Plumas County, California
    Lake Almanor with Mount Lassen
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Supporting
  • Fish consumption: Impaired
What this classification means

Fish consumption: Consumption advisory (Mercury) — fish for sport, not the table.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Almanor Lake' (CAL5184100020020418094956), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Fully Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Mercury. 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) · CAL5184100020020418094956

Why this score
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for summer fishing.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Booking & contacts