Wagon Wheel Lake Fishing Guide, Nevada County, California

• Overview

  The Nevada County entry here is Wagon Wheel Lake, in California. This is farm and woodlot country. It covers about 3 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Nevada County. Head to Truckee, 19 miles away, for anything you forgot. Sunnyside-Tahoe City is 26 miles and Dollar Point 27 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Wagon Wheel Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Nevada County records list brook trout, rainbow trout, tahoe sucker, brown trout and bluegill among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Wagon Wheel Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 29°F in January and 62°F in August. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. It holds true on Wagon Wheel Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Baltimore Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Wagon Wheel Lake before loading the car.