Smith Lake Fishing near Portola, California

• Overview

  Smith Lake is one of the Plumas County waters in California. The bank is 6,106 feet above sea level. Small at around 23 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The town to know is Portola, 12 miles out. It is 48 miles to Reno, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Smith Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Plumas County list rainbow trout, brook trout, Sacramento sucker, brown trout and green sunfish. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Smith Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 61°F at the top of summer and 30°F at the bottom of winter. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Smith Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Hidden Lake, 1.1 miles out. For Smith Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.