Favorite trout stillwater in California

[Terry Imai]

I was kicking this concept with everyone's five favorite California trout stillwaters. Criteria to be on this list are:

1. Nice size fish with minimal stocking;

2. Free public access. When someone pays $$ to fish a private water with stocked sterile
trout is aliken to going to a house of ill repute and bragging that you "got lucky";

3. Match the hatch fishing. No endless trolling with wooly bugger patterns.

4. Should have a period of at least one week of very good fishing rather than one day a
year.


Here are my choices in no particular order:

1. Davis Lake-Matching the Damsels can drive you crazy plus good fall fishing

2. Manzanita Lake-Proves that trout don't live in ugly places. Good variety of bugs.

3. Lewiston-When the conditions are just right, totally awsome.

4. Eagle Lake-Pigs live there

5. Pyramid (I know it's not in California but it's close enough)-trophy Cutt fishing

6. Bridgeport Reservoir-Good variety of bugs keeps you on your toes.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Plus Frenchmans, McCumber, McCoy Flat, Almanor, Stampede................

I guess there are hundreds of good fly fishing reservoirs and lakes.

Having a shallow weedy lake or a big lake with weedy shallows is good.

[Reno Flytyer]

Sheesh.
RFT

[B Kane]

All the lakes previously mentioned are put and take lakes subsidized by the public. Private lakes are paid for by the people who fish them but are usually catch and release. What's the difference if you can afford both? Can't really see much of a difference other than cost. Would you fish private lakes if it cost the same as your California fishing license but couldn't kill the fish? I fish both types and enjoy them all.