Fishing at Lake Audrian, El Dorado County, California

• Overview

  The El Dorado County end of California holds Lake Audrian. It sits at 7,185 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 12 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Some 8.5 miles away sits South Lake Tahoe, the nearest settlement. After that come Kingsbury at 13 miles and Gardnerville Ranchos at 17 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lake Audrian

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for El Dorado County list rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, brook trout, bluegill and great basin cutthroat trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Treat Lake Audrian as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 58°F in August and bottom out at 26°F in January. The year gives four workable seasons without severe ends. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Lake Audrian runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. This sits inside Andrews Meadows, so read the reserve notices first. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Saucer Lake is 2.1 miles distant. Check the position on Lake Audrian before loading the car.