Shirley Lake Fishing Guide, Placer County, California

• Overview

  Shirley Lake is a Placer County water, California side. The surface lies 7,585 feet up. Small even by pond standards, it rewards one careful line. It is a small entry by Placer County standards. Head to Sunnyside-Tahoe City, 6.8 miles away, for anything you forgot. Dollar Point follows at 9.1 miles, then Truckee at 9.9 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Shirley Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Placer County records list sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, tahoe sucker, brook trout and bluegill among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Shirley Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 59°F, with January the cold end at about 27°F. A lid forms in a hard winter only. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. It holds true on Shirley Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Mountain Meadow Lake, 1.1 miles out. Nothing on Shirley Lake should be assumed from this page alone.