Lake Schmidell, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find Lake Schmidell in El Dorado County, California. Height above sea level is 7,864 feet. It runs to roughly 39 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Size puts it in the front rank of our El Dorado County list. The nearest place of any size is Tahoma, 11 miles away. For a city, Reno is 47 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lake Schmidell

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Records held for El Dorado County cover rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, brook trout and bluegill. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The shape of Lake Schmidell rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 59°F; by January the average is down near 26°F. Seasons here are moderate, and the fishing runs most of the year. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Lake Schmidell runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Lake Lois, 1 mile away. Rules at Lake Schmidell are worth checking on the day.