Fishing at Susie Lake, El Dorado County, California

• Overview

  El Dorado County in California is where Susie Lake sits. Country round the bank runs to rolling hill. It runs to roughly 36 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. A shoreline of some 1.4 miles keeps the choices simple. Size puts it in the front rank of our El Dorado County list. The nearest place of any size is South Lake Tahoe, 8.5 miles away. Reno is the closest city, 48 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Susie Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for El Dorado County cover rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, brook trout, bluegill and great basin cutthroat trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Susie Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 58°F and January near 26°F. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. That is the shape of the year on Susie Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Heather Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Susie Lake.