Ralston Lake Fishing Guide, El Dorado County, California

• Overview

  Look for Ralston Lake in El Dorado County, California. Height above sea level is 7,805 feet. The water measures roughly 15 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. 8.8 miles away sits South Lake Tahoe, the nearest town. It is 50 miles to Reno, the nearest city. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ralston Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. El Dorado County records list rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, brook trout, bluegill and great basin cutthroat trout among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Take Ralston Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 58°F in August and bottoms out near 26°F in January. The year gives four workable seasons without severe ends. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. That shapes the year on Ralston Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Cagwin Lake, 0.2 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Ralston Lake for certain.