Best rainbow trout lakes in California
6 California waters hold rainbow trout, 4 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic stocked cold-water trout. Depth is everything: rainbows follow the temperature layer they like.
- Lake Tahoe — 1634 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Kokanee
- Folsom Lake — 281 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Whiskeytown Lake — 232 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
- Lake Del Valle — 135 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Sacramento River (Redding) — 15 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead
- Topaz Lake — 92 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
When to fish rainbow trout in California
- Spring 5–20 ft — Post-ice-out trout roam shallow; fish inflows and windblown shorelines.
- Summer 8–30 ft — Rainbows hold near cold inflows, current seams and the thermocline — find the cool water and you've found the fish.
- Fall 10–35 ft — Fall feeding on rock shoals, current and channel edges as water cools.
- Winter 8–40 ft — Trout are comfortable in cold water — one of the best winter targets; streams and tailwaters fish shallow, deep lakes hold on basin edges.
Also in California: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best striped bass lakes
Rainbow Trout elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Michigan · New Hampshire · Montana · Wyoming · Massachusetts · Washington · North Dakota · Indiana · Connecticut · Utah · Colorado · Alaska · New York · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Nevada · Tennessee · Missouri · Oregon · Maine · Vermont · West Virginia · Rhode Island · New Jersey · Idaho