Milton Reservoir

[Quinnphoto]

Just got back from a great day of fishing Milton Reservoir. Feeling like I outsmarted some cagey wild brown trout, I get to shore and a guy tells me they just stocked the lake. Want a bummer. I mean I’ll take stocked trout but I specifically picked Milton this week for a little challenge. Anyone know if it’s true they stock this lake?

[Smitty Fish]

I haven’t herd of any plants. Sounds like you out smarted them to me.

[BS]

Just got back from a great day of fishing Milton Reservoir. Feeling like I outsmarted some cagey wild brown trout, I get to shore and a guy tells me they just stocked the lake. Want a bummer. I mean I’ll take stocked trout but I specifically picked Milton this week for a little challenge. Anyone know if it’s true they stock this lake?

Well then riddle me this Bill.:confused::confused::confused:

What did the browns you landed look like ?????????
Did they have beat up noses and worn down fins, and other deformities ????

I think you outsmarted them myself. :cool::cool::cool:

I bet the water was nice and refreshing too !!!!!!! :cool::cool::cool:

Glad you got out and did some Heenan practicing...................only a month away. ;);)


Bob

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think they stock mostly Rainbows?

Milton Reservoir is pretty remote to be on the planting list in today's world.

In many lakes the sneaky wild trout are usually Browns.

If you have some fish pictures we might be able to look at the fins?

[Quinnphoto]

I haven’t herd of any plants. Sounds like you out smarted them to me.

Well then I had an epic wild trout day then :) Thanks Smitty

[Quinnphoto]

Well then riddle me this Bill.:confused::confused::confused:

What did the browns you landed look like ?????????
Did they have beat up noses and worn down fins, and other deformities ????

I think you outsmarted them myself. :cool::cool::cool:

I bet the water was nice and refreshing too !!!!!!! :cool::cool::cool:

Glad you got out and did some Heenan practicing...................only a month away. ;);)


Bob

The fish were colorful, tails in great shape and no physical deformities. I didn’t catch any of size however. The bigger fish were caught in the morning maybe up to 12” and after 2 all the fish were more like 8”. Good fighters and many jumped out of the water which surprised me. I thought browns were likely than rainbows to stay submerged. The water was really still quite cold. I think as the day warmed the water the fish did get more active.

[Quinnphoto]

I think they stock mostly Rainbows?

Milton Reservoir is pretty remote to be on the planting list in todays world.

In many lakes the sneaky wild trout are usually Browns.

If you have some fish pictures we might be able to look at the fins?

Didn’t catch one rainbow out of the 22 I caught. I also lost another 18. It almost felt like fishing Fuller after they stock the lake.
I could understand the fish department not sticking this lake. The dirt road isn’t that fun to drive over.

[Smitty Fish]

Milton in the fall can be very productive. Nice at that time of year with the small groves of aspens.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Chuck Campana use to love fishing Milton from his pram.

[Scott V]

Milton is part of the wild trout program, so I hope it isn't stocked.

[yubaman]

The last I had heard, it was being managed as a Wild Trophy Trout Fishery. As far as I know, that means no stocking!!!! Just confirmed that BTW, this is a Wild Trout fishery per California DFW . . . so, GREAT day!!!!

[Quinnphoto]

The last I had heard, it was being managed as a Wild Trophy Trout Fishery. As far as I know, that means no stocking!!!! Just confirmed that BTW, this is a Wild Trout fishery per California DFW . . . so, GREAT day!!!!
I was hoping since it’s operated as a Wild Trophy Fishery that they wouldn’t put hatchery fish in there.

[FREEDOM-FLYFISHER]

Milton has been a Wild Trout Fishery for like ever like 30+ years or so after they drained it and dredged it and threw in some rock piles I believe in the late 80's(not sure what year)? There are a lot of small browns sometimes they can be pretty grabby and sometimes not at all. There have been nice rainbows in the lake that were 20- 22"+ that lasted for like 2 summers in the 90's. They are wild trout the browns and rainbows reproduce naturally, spawn. Lots of small 10" or so browns that never get a chance to get bigger.

Unfortunately, the larger fish just about all get poached, yanked out in the winter when the snowmobilers drive in and ice fish them with worms and kill off the big fish every winter/spring. They have been doing that for decades. They just go out on the ice....drill a whole here or there towards the dam and drop down a night crawler and jiggle it around. The big browns and rainbows will be on those worms in an instant.

[Smitty Fish]

I have caught a couple of rainbows at Milton 12 years ago. Haven’t seen any since.

I’ve also herd of people going in there on snowmobiles in winter months and fishing through the ice
And keeping fish. Have seen some just walking the road and looking along the shore line and seeing some
Browns well over 20 inches. Definitely a little gem of a lake, especially in the fall.

[Scott V]

I have caught a couple of rainbows at Milton 12 years ago. Haven’t seen any since.

I’ve also herd of people going in there on snowmobiles in winter months and fishing through the ice
And keeping fish. Have seen some just walking the road and looking along the shore line and seeing some
Browns well over 20 inches. Definitely a little gem of a lake, especially in the fall.

Caught a big rainbow there about 6 or 7 years ago.

[Rossflyguy]

I was there earlier this summer. I saw lots of browns well over 18”. You just gotta move them with 4”-5” streamers. I was even throwing streamers in the shallowest part of the lake when I spotted cruisers. I did manage to use my fish finder in there as well. Deepest I found was 18’ at the dam. The bank to the right of the dam drops to 15’ right at the shore line. Big boys hang there too. Lots of humps and buckets in the middle of the lake that were holding fish. I did really well with streamers and when spotting those humps/buckets I killed it with an indicator rig. Dropped it right on their heads. If you’re in the small fish move away from them because the larger fish aren’t around. Deeper water and “bassy” structure is where I found the larger browns. I love that place.

[Smitty Fish]

Scott , I’m sure it was a nice one. The ones I got were 16-18 inches.

Ross, I’ll try something bigger next time I go. Such a great little fishery.

[Quinnphoto]

17268

One of 23 today. Saw some big cruisers but this was my second biggest. Got one 16”.

[Smitty Fish]

Sounds like a great trip! I might hit it here in a month or 2.

[Quinnphoto]

Sounds like a great trip! I might hit it here in a month or 2.

I go for the day. Takes about 2 1/2 hours. The good thing is it’s not like all the other lakes in the area. You don’t have to hit the lake early. Because the water is so cold the fish and insects don’t really get going till 10. Sleep in and still get into a bunch of fish :)

[Ralph]

I think they stock mostly Rainbows?



Planting records going back to the 70's indicate that Milton has never been stocked with rainbows. It has been managed as a max size limit brown trout fishery in an effort to out-compete the brown bullhead. The trout come out of Jackson Meadows and there is reproduction in the MF Yuba upstream of Milton. The water management regime favors fall spawning browns over the spring spawning rainbows. There are also two springs in the lake that are utilized by spawning brook trout, but they don't seem to last very long.

Poaching has long been the demise of Milton's fishery. In the winter it is a snowmobilers ice fishing destination. At ice out it can look like Swiss cheese. In the summer, loggers camping in the area descend on the lake with bait.

[Woodman]

I can't understand why enforcement has never been a priority in California. I have been fishing in California for 45 years and over that time I have been asked by a warden to see my license exactly once.

[Rossflyguy]

Planting records going back to the 70's indicate that Milton has never been stocked with rainbows. It has been managed as a max size limit brown trout fishery in an effort to out-compete the brown bullhead. The trout come out of Jackson Meadows and there is reproduction in the MF Yuba upstream of Milton. The water management regime favors fall spawning browns over the spring spawning rainbows. There are also two springs in the lake that are utilized by spawning brook trout, but they don't seem to last very long.Poaching has long been the demise of Milton's fishery. In the winter it is a snowmobilers ice fishing destination. At ice out it can look like Swiss cheese. In the summer, loggers camping in the area descend on the lake with bait.

I’m think it’s not illegal to harvest fish from Milton reservoir. From all the small browns I think it wouldn’t hurt and would do good so the some of those fish grow bigger.

[Quinnphoto]

I’m think it’s not illegal to harvest fish from Milton reservoir. From all the small browns I think it wouldn’t hurt and would do good so the some of those fish grow bigger.

It does have a two fish below 12 inches keeper limit.

[GLC]

You might want to check the new regulations; 7.50 (b) (97). It appears that it has changes to; Open all year with 0 trout take.

(97) Milton Lake and Middle Fork Yuba River
between Milton Lake and Jackson Meadows
Dam (Nevada and Sierra cos.).
All year. Only artificial lures
with barbless hooks may be
used.
0 trout

[Quinnphoto]

You might want to check the new regulations; 7.50 (b) (97). It appears that it has changes to; Open all year with 0 trout take.

(97) Milton Lake and Middle Fork Yuba River
between Milton Lake and Jackson Meadows
Dam (Nevada and Sierra cos.).
All year. Only artificial lures
with barbless hooks may be
used.
0 trout

Thanks for the update. Google hasn’t updated the new regs.