Fishing at Little Deer Lake, Plumas County, California

• Overview

  Plumas County in California is where Little Deer Lake sits. It lies 6,965 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 7 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Portola lies 15 miles from the water. For a city, Reno is 48 miles off. More in the same country: Snake Lake about 0.5 miles, Summit Lake out at 1.1 miles, Round Lake about 1.2 miles, Little Gold Lake out at 1.4 miles and Hawley Lake about 1.4 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Little Deer Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Plumas County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brook trout, Sacramento sucker, brown trout and green sunfish. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Little Deer Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 61°F and January about 30°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. At Little Deer Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Snake Lake, 0.5 miles away. Treat Little Deer Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.