Lake Estelle Fishing near Sunnyside-Tahoe City, California

• Overview

  Lake Estelle is a Placer County water, in California. It lies 7,913 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Placer County are larger. The closest town, Sunnyside-Tahoe City, is 4.8 miles distant. Reno sits 34 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lake Estelle

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Placer County, recorded fish include sockeye salmon, rainbow trout and tahoe sucker. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Lake Estelle where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about 27°F and August at about 59°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The season stretches long at both ends here. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. It holds true on Lake Estelle more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Shirley Lake at 2.9 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Lake Estelle in what we hold.