Drum Forebay, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In California, Drum Forebay falls inside Placer County. It sits in pine and hardwood. At 20 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Supplies mean a trip to Nevada City, 14 miles off. Colfax lies 15 miles off, Foresthill another 16 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Drum Forebay

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Placer County records list sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, tahoe sucker and brook trout among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Drum Forebay gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 70°F and January near 40°F on the long-run figures. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. On Drum Forebay the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Lake Putt, 4.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Drum Forebay carry more weight than any list.