Fishing at Donnell Lake, Tuolumne County, California

• Overview

  Out in Tuolumne County, California, sits Donnell Lake. Height above sea level is 4,800 feet. Roughly 421 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. The margin runs to about 5.3 miles in total. It ranks high for size among our Tuolumne County listings. Arnold is the closest place, 23 miles off. Further out sit Twain Harte (26 miles) and Cedar Ridge (26 miles). Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Donnell Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Across Tuolumne County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brook trout, Sacramento sucker and bluegill. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Donnell Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 29°F and August at about 62°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. The season on Donnell Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Burgson Lake sits 1.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm access to Donnell Lake locally before you travel.