Squaw Lake Fishing near Portola, California

• Overview

  Look for Squaw Lake in the Sierra County part of California. The bank is 6,699 feet above sea level. The nearest place of any size is Portola, 14 miles away. Reno is the closest city, 46 miles away. Nearby alternatives: Gold Lake 0.7 miles away, Little Gold Lake within 0.7 miles, Upper Salmon Lake 0.8 miles away, Goose Lake within 0.9 miles and Haven Lake 1.1 miles away. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Squaw Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Sierra County include rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Squaw Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 63°F and January reads 30°F. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. The season on Squaw Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. A marina is mapped about 0.9 miles away. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Gold Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Squaw Lake as something to verify.