Murphy Lake Fishing in Plumas County, California

• Overview

  Murphy Lake sits within Plumas County in California. The setting is dry hill on every side. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. Our Plumas County list holds plenty of bigger water. Some 18 miles away sits Magalia, the nearest settlement. After that come Quincy at 20 miles and Forest Ranch at 20 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Murphy Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Plumas County records list rainbow trout, brook trout, Sacramento sucker and brown trout among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Murphy Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 68°F and December at 36°F. Winter here means light layers, not lost months. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Expect Murphy Lake to follow that timing. Rain lifts the level and moves fish about.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Oliver Lake is 0.9 miles off. What applies at Murphy Lake may have changed since it was mapped.