Lake Amador

[fx21basser]

Hey all
I was Thinking Of Going To Amador Soon To Try the trout Fishing. Was Wondering If Anyone Has Fished It And If Its Worth Trying. I Will Be Fishing From A Boat.

[Scott V]

Amador can be very productive since they plant a ton of fish, just but be ready for the price of admission. I think it is around 18 or so dollars to fish.

[Jay]

Dirty, poor management, ridiculously overpriced, trash everywhere (above and below the water), terrible facilities, plastic trout, ..... what am I missing?

[Mike Churchill]

Like everything else, it has its ups and downs, and it is not for everyone. If you hit it on a day the fish are biting, it's a hell of a lot of fun, because they don't stock small fish and the ones they stock fight like hell for planters. (While the dam area where the bankies hang out has some trash, the back half of the lake is attractive when the water level rises and the hills green up, both of which are happening now.)

I was there 10 days ago and got skunked both flyfishing and trolling lures, but that was during that period of stable high pressure and warm weather. Nobody was catching much: I talked to 2 guys who had each caught 2 fish, and that was it. Lots of fish on the sonar, as always, but no surface activity until the shadow of the dam started spreading across the lake.

You will usually see a lot of surface activity as the trout chase bait fish or just jump and most are caught in the top few feet. Wooly Buggers and nymphs fished on floating and intermediate lines are the common choices, but I sometimes use a sink tip because I'm too lazy to change tips on my multi-tip line and I (usually) catch fish anyway) (I carry 2 rods: the sink tip and a floater). I have also caught fish on small clousers.

The water level is high this year and rising with each storm, so it looks better than it usually does this time of year. That being said, I've done best there when the water was down lower.

It ain't free. 2 guys with a boat launch will set you back $32. If you go by yourself, I think it will be about $24 or $26. Considering that it costs at least $10 to launch most places and how much more gas we burn in the truck and / or the boat on other days, my dad and I consider it worthwhile to go a couple of times a year. The average fish is over 3 pounds and my best from there on a fly was over 6 and fought like hell.

That, and we get some good stories. Like nearly losing my 91-yr. old grandfather a couple of years ago when a 4 pound trout hit his lure while he was dozing as we trolled. I was standing in the bow and I heard a sound and turned to see him lurch out of his seat after the rod which was exiting over the transom. I had a brief vision of having to call my mother and tell her that the bad news was we lost her dad, but the good news was that he'd gone happy fighting a big trout. My dad was standing on the offshore bracket on the back of the boat (between the transom and the outboard on his North River) and grabbed the rod as it went over the transom. My uncle caught my grandfather at about the same moment before he followed it over.

Or like watching one of my young daughters and a friend stand on the shore squealing in glee with a spinning rod held overhead in 4 hands while a 5 pound trout cartwheeled around a cove.

Or several good club outings that have started with hearty breakfasts / b.s. sessions in front of the fire at the cafe (open weekends only, I think) at the lake followed by a float tube flotilla assembling in the Carson Arm of the lake to catch some fairly big fish and heckle those who fail to land them.

For a pay to fish place, it's not "easy", but the quality is definitely good. I will probably be back there in the next week or two to try it again myself.

Mike

[Nomadic Fisherman]

Love the stories.
Haven't been out there this year but plan to sometime in the next week. :D

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Lake Amador is a popular winter fishery for fly fishers with a boat, pontoon or float tube.

[Jay]

Dont get me wrong, I have spent more at that lake than anyone on this board, hands down. It has it's redeeming qualities, but the trout fishin just isnt very much fun for me.

[Hairstacker]

My wife and I used to enjoy camping there in the spring and early summer about 20 years ago before we had kids. I remember having fun prowling the shallows on foot for bass while my wife slept in mornings. Haven't fished it since -- has it changed much over the years?

I was thinking about targeting it over the winter with the flies that result from the midge fly swap in process. I've read reports that those trout are a lot of fun, what is it about them you don't like Jay aside from them being hatchery trout?

[Jay]

My wife and I used to enjoy camping there in the spring and early summer about 20 years ago before we had kids. I remember having fun prowling the shallows on foot for bass while my wife slept in mornings. Haven't fished it since -- has it changed much over the years?

I was thinking about targeting it over the winter with the flies that result from the midge fly swap in process. I've read reports that those trout are a lot of fun, what is it about them you don't like Jay aside from them being hatchery trout?

Thats pretty much it. I just dont know how anyone can feel a sense of reward or accomplishment catching one of those fish. They are so stupid that a few years ago I watched one swim right into the blade of my trolling motor and kill himself. I dont like all the people, the cost, and all the trash. There is a huge amount of trash in that lake. Dont believe it, fish it when it is 50+ ft low. I broke off $200 worth of lures there one day because of all the line criss crossing the standing trees that are still left down deep.

I have been there hundreds of times, but not for the trout. I dont know, if thats fun to you, then dont let anyone else tell you what to think. But for me, major snoozer.

[David Lee]

I've fished Amador since the early-1980's . It used to be a LOT cleaner ....

Best month for me has been February provided there hasn't been heavy rains . I like an I line and a #6 Dragonbugger , and I hunt the coves where tiny feeder streams dump in ..... add a submerged fenceline and a weedbed or two , LMB /Trout/Crappies can be had .

While my dislike for Rubber-Trout is well known , these fish can be pretty hot !

D.~

[Mike Churchill]

My dad and I went to Amador Monday. Since it was so damn cold we didn't hit the water until about 10. Weather was clear and mostly calm and water temps were 57 or so everywhere. Only saw 4 other boats on the lake and a few bank fisherman.

A few fish surfaced from time to time, but we went until 3:25 without a strike while switching back and forth between trolling a variety of lures and plastics and casting flies and lures. We talked to one guy who had found a pod of fish at the back of one of the arms where a trickle was flowing in and caught a dozen to 6 lbs. on white crappie jigs from the bank (he had gone there to fish for bluegills).

As we were headed back to the ramp to pull out, we finally had a 4.5 pounder smash one of our trolled Rapalas and start ripping off line. After my dad landed that one, I convinced him to stay another 30 minutes. A few minutes later I picked up a 3 pounder on another Rapala.

So, no skunk, but no great results for us. Both fish were in terrific condition for planters with lots of color and good tails. They made multiple runs and the big one jumped immediately after hitting the lure.

Mike