Fishing Quail Lake in Placer County, California

• Overview

  Quail Lake stands in Placer County, California. The surface lies 6,795 feet up. Small at around 14 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. You are 2.1 miles from Tahoma. The nearest city of size is Reno, 37 miles away. If this one is busy: Lake Louise a shade over 1.2 miles, Buck Lake at 1.9 miles, Ellis Lake a shade over 1.9 miles, McKinney Lake at 2.1 miles and Lily Pond a shade over 2.4 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Quail Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Records held for Placer County cover sockeye salmon, rainbow trout and tahoe sucker. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Take Quail Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 60°F in July and bottom out at 30°F in January. The season stretches long at both ends here. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Time your trip to Quail Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. A platform or pier sits within 0.9 miles. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Lake Louise is 1.2 miles off. Confirm before you fish Quail Lake.