Phoenix Lake near Truckee: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  The Nevada County end of California holds Phoenix Lake. The land about it is farm and woodlot. At 21 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Start from Truckee, 18 miles down the road. After that come Sunnyside-Tahoe City at 25 miles and Dollar Point at 26 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Phoenix Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Nevada County cover brook trout, rainbow trout and tahoe sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Phoenix Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 29°F to 62°F. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Phoenix Lake fishes to that pattern most years. A rising level after rain switches things on for a day or two.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Wagon Wheel Lake is 0.8 miles distant. Nothing on Phoenix Lake should be assumed from this page alone.