Donner lake

[timmosazz]

I will be up in the Donner lake area this weekend and I am thinking obout fishing Donner lake if there is not too much ice around the lake. Has anybody been by there lately? I will also be looking at the truckie river, but the lake will be 5 min from where I am staying and my be able to sneek away for a few hours. also any fly fishing tips for the lake this time of year from shore. I fished there mid November and picked up a Macanaw on the east side at day break 7lbs. that was un expected but great.

[Bryan Morgan]

Went by the lake yesterday and it looked ice free.

[gilligan]

Most of my friends fish it with a Pryamid type set up. Chartruese Clousers are the ticket out there. I don't fish it much myself, but you can catch fish all Winter weather permitting. We call those Mac's half pounders that you catch with a fly rod. The big ones are down deep. My friend Keith who guides conventional tackle swears the state record Mac will come from there shortly. Try the West end of the lake this time of year. Cheers...

www.gilligansguideservice.com

[Frank R. Pisciotta]

Matt's advice is solid.

Occassionally I'll fish the lake from shore, I would add:

1---probe the drop-offs off the west-end beach

2---probe the creek inlet on the west-end

3---red-sides imitations or flashy mylar-bodied streamers which imitate the planted trout that the Macs love to eat

4---full-sinks or sink-tip lines...fast stripping

5---the caveat:
it is "pot-hole" time with this warm weather...Ouch!! Possibly rendering you out of commssion with a hyper-extension of the knee. So, walk carefully
through the snow.

Frank R. Pisciotta

[timmosazz]

Sounds like I have a chance, my original plan was trout immitations. There are some big ones like you said down in the abis. I know of more than one 20 plus pounders coming out of Donner. I also fished from a boat back in November going for those bad boys we jiged and I think our best was in the 11 lb range. I will post my findings when I get back I will be up there untill Monday. The main focus is a family ski weekend, so we eill see how much fishing I get in. Thanks.