Fishing at Alta Morris Lake, El Dorado County, California

• Overview

  Out in El Dorado County, California, sits Alta Morris Lake. Height above sea level is 8,114 feet. This is a pocket water of some 5 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The nearest town is South Lake Tahoe, 8.8 miles away. Further out sit Tahoma (12 miles) and Kingsbury (14 miles). Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Alta Morris Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in El Dorado County include rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, brook trout, bluegill and great basin cutthroat trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Alta Morris Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 26°F in January to roughly 58°F in August. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. On Alta Morris Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Half Moon Lake is 0.2 miles distant. For Alta Morris Lake in particular, ask before you travel.