Snow Lake in El Dorado County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  California holds Snow Lake, in El Dorado County. The surface lies 7,421 feet up. At 13 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Some 7.1 miles away sits South Lake Tahoe, the nearest settlement. It is 45 miles to Reno, the nearest city. Also worth knowing: Tallac Lake 0.4 miles, Azure Lake (0.6 miles), Kalmia Lake 0.7 miles, Granite Lake (1.4 miles) and Gilmore Lake 1.5 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Snow Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across El Dorado County: rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, brook trout and bluegill. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Snow Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 28°F in January and 59°F in August. Some winters cap it and some do not. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Snow Lake fishes to that pattern most years. A grey, mild day is often better than a bright, still one.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Tallac Lake, 0.4 miles out. Check the position on Snow Lake before loading the car.