Union Reservoir Fishing in Alpine County, California

• Overview

  Out in Alpine County, California, sits Union Reservoir. Height above sea level is 6,864 feet. With some 196 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 2.8 miles of margin, front to back. On our Alpine County list it sits near the top for size. Arnold at 23 miles is the nearest place to stop. Then Forest Meadows, 29 miles, and Buckhorn, 29 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Union Reservoir

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Survey and observation records for Alpine County include brook trout, rainbow trout and great basin cutthroat trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Union Reservoir for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 60°F for August and 27°F for December. Mild ends to the year keep the season long. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Union Reservoir fishes to that pattern most years. A rising level usually fishes better than a falling one.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. Day use parking lot gives parking half a mile away. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. A picnic area is mapped about half a mile away. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Utica Reservoir sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Union Reservoir may have changed since it was mapped.