Porter Reservoir Fishing Guide, Modoc County, California

• Overview

  Porter Reservoir sits within Modoc County in California. It sits at 5,049 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 25 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Alturas lies 9.3 miles from the water. For a city, Reno is 135 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Porter Reservoir

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Records held for Modoc County cover Sacramento sucker, modoc sucker, rainbow trout, green sunfish and brook trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Work Porter Reservoir in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 66°F and December reads 30°F. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Porter Reservoir fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Pine Creek Reservoir at 2.8 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Porter Reservoir if anything is unclear.