Deer Lake in Napa County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Deer Lake is one of the Napa County listings for California. It stands 2,001 feet above sea level. At roughly 12 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Angwin lies 1.9 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Santa Rosa, 17 miles away. Round about: Doe Lake just 0.2 miles, Granite Lake about 0.2 miles, Cooksley Lake just 0.2 miles, Fawn Lake about 0.3 miles and Lake Newton just 0.3 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Deer Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Napa County records list Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, Sacramento sucker and bluegill among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Deer Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 72°F on average, December about 45°F. Temperatures stay workable through the cold season. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Deer Lake fishes to that pattern most years. Weed growth peaks in late summer and changes where you can fish.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Doe Lake, 0.2 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Deer Lake.