Coburn Lake Fishing near Portola, California

• Overview

  Sierra County, California, is where Coburn Lake sits. The bank is 7,536 feet above sea level. At roughly 5 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. 17 miles away sits Portola, the nearest town. Truckee lies 22 miles off, Verdi another 25 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end. Trees shelter part of the bank when the wind gets up.

• Where to Fish on Coburn Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Sierra County cover rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, green sunfish and Sacramento sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The near bank of Coburn Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 59°F and January near 28°F. Whether it freezes depends on the year. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. That is the shape of the year on Coburn Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lake of The Woods at 5 miles is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Coburn Lake.