 Plumas
County’s 1,000 miles of streams and more
than 100 lakes of the Feather River
watershed make for a wonderful, varied and
famous fishery. Whether you’re a fly
fisherman or prefer to use lures and bait,
you’ll find plenty of places to reel them
in.Native rainbow trout are the
predominant game fish, but German Browns and
brook trout also have been established in
many water-ways. A special strain of
rainbow, known as Eagle Lake trout, are
found in many of the major lakes. Other game
fish include Mackinaw (lake trout), kokanee
and king salmon, largemouth and smallmouth
bass, bluegill and catfish.
Lake Fishing:
 Lake
Almanor is the largest lake in Plumas
County. Fishing is generally good
year-round, but fall and winter can be
outstanding. The
Almanor Fishing Association is a great
resource for more information on fishing
Lake Almanor. Butt Valley Reservoir
is noted for huge rainbows and browns of
trophy trout status. Butt Valley is at its
best with flies, jigs and small lures in the
inlet when the powerhouse is running.
Round Valley Lake near Greenville is a
small lake with big bass. This is a great
place for children to fish from shore for
bluebills. An annual bluegill derby is held
here in June. Bucks Lake in central
Plumas is a good all around lake that is
especially noted for trophy size (over 16
pound) Mackinaw trout, although the current
lake record is over 30 pounds. Fall
fly-fishing for rainbow, brown and brook
trout is often spectacular in middle to late
afternoon. Little Grass Valley
Reservoir
is good for rainbow and brown trout, and
Antelope Lake is popular for trout,
catfish and bass fishing. Newly restocked Lake Davis
and
Frenchman Lake are excellent trophy
rainbow waters. Fly fishing from the west
shorelines, either wading or using float
tubes, is good both spring and fall. Both of
these lakes are popular for ice fishing
during the wintertime.
Stream and Fly Fishing:
The main parts of the Feather River are
the North Fork and Middle Fork. The North
Fork and Hamilton Branch flow into Lake Almanor.
These and their smaller tributaries are good
trout waters. The Middle Fork is a federally
listed Wild and Scenic River from the
outflow of Sierra Valley most of the way to
Lake Oroville. The wild river section
downstream from the Quincy-La Porte Road
bridge is accessible by steep foot trails
and provides excellent fishing for strong
hikers. Upstream, in the more easily reached
scenic and recreation portion near Highway
70 east of Quincy, the Middle Fork holds
some nice, if sometimes angler-shy, rainbows
and browns. Yellow Creek, in Humbug
Valley, is a stream restoration success
involving fishing groups, PG&E and the
Department of Fish and Game. Barbless
hooks and a restricted limit apply to Yellow
Creek to keep it a trophy fishery. Other
streams worth exploring including Indian
and Wolf Creeks, in the Indian Valley
area, Nelson Creek and Spanish Creek
near Quincy, Jamison Creek
near Graeagle, and Little Last Chance
Creek
near Frenchman Lake.
Fishing Season:
Lakes are open to fishing year round and the
stream season usually opens on the last weekend
of April and closes in the middle of November.
Some streams, such as tributaries to Lake
Almanor and Bucks Lake, are not open until the
end of May and close at the end of September.
Some waters like Yellow Creek have special
barbless catch and release provisions. Check the
current
Department of Fish and Game regulations
pamphlet for specific dates and limits.
For more information on fishing,
contact the Plumas County Visitors Bureau, (800)
326-2247 or
contact us to order a free visitors guide.
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