Swan Lake Fishing in Plumas County, California

• Overview

  In California, Swan Lake belongs to Plumas County. Everything around it is farm and woodlot. Surface area runs to about 16 acres — small enough to read in one session. Supplies mean a trip to Chester, 15 miles off. Westwood is 23 miles and Shingletown 28 miles. Not far off: Upper Twin Lake lies 0.6 miles on, Lower Twin Lake near enough 0.6 miles, Rainbow Lake lies 1.2 miles on, Echo Lake near enough 1.6 miles and Deer Lake lies 1.6 miles on. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Swan Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Plumas County: rainbow trout, brook trout, Sacramento sucker and brown trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Swan Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 59°F and January about 29°F. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Time your trip to Swan Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Upper Twin Lake, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Swan Lake in what we hold.