Fishing at Union Reservoir, Nevada County, California

• Overview

  Out in Nevada County, California, sits Union Reservoir. The surroundings are open plain. The water measures roughly 6 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Nevada County. Penn Valley sits 4.9 miles from the bank. Lake Wildwood follows at 5.1 miles, then Beale Air Force Base at 7.1 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Union Reservoir

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Records held for Nevada County cover brook trout, rainbow trout, tahoe sucker, brown trout and bluegill. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Union Reservoir a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 79°F and January near 46°F. Winter is the comfortable season here rather than the difficult one. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Union Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Expect 0.9 miles away in from where the car goes. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Harry L. Englebright Lake is 3.4 miles distant. Ask locally about Union Reservoir if anything is unclear.