Fishing Granite Lake in Amador County, California

• Overview

  The Amador County entry here is Granite Lake, in California. The ground around here is pine and birch. About 7 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. The closest town, South Lake Tahoe, is 22 miles distant. Reno is the closest city, 63 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Granite Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Amador County cover rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, Sacramento sucker and smallmouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Granite Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 57°F and January near 25°F on the long-run figures. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Granite Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Evergreen Lake, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Granite Lake in particular, ask before you travel.