Lake Putt, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Lake Putt in Placer County, California. The water sits 5,374 feet up. At about 34 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. 18 miles away sits Nevada City, the nearest town. Roseville sits 49 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Lake Putt

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Reported across Placer County: sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, tahoe sucker, brook trout and bluegill. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Lake Putt the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 39°F in December to roughly 67°F in August. Summer heat is the limit here, not winter cold. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. The season on Lake Putt follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Parking is mapped about half a mile from the bank. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Drum Forebay, 4.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Lake Putt are worth checking on the day.