Scotts Lake in Alpine County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Alpine County in California is where Scotts Lake sits. The water sits 8,028 feet up. Roughly 32 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The nearest town is South Lake Tahoe, 12 miles away. Reno sits 53 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Scotts Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name brook trout, rainbow trout, great basin cutthroat trout and cutthroat trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Scotts Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 58°F; the cold one sits at 26°F. Some winters cap it and some do not. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Expect Scotts Lake to follow that timing. The first frost of the year slows things for a few days.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Grass Lake, 2.1 miles out. For Scotts Lake in particular, ask before you travel.