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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
11-acre lake near El Dorado County. The lake tops out around 20 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Traced from the shoreline, American Lake runs 11 acres with 0.9 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 2) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Roughly 51% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.4 mi. The water lies in El Dorado County. The nearest mapped water is Lake Aloha, 1 mi to the northwest.
Spring puts brook trout in skinny water — 2 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 20 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for summer brook trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (17 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (17 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
American Lake carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 17 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for California waters are set by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to American Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
American Lake is about 20 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target brook trout on American Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For brook trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on American Lake is regulated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Check the official California regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Aloha 1 mi · Rubicon Reservoir 10 mi · Scotts Lake 11 mi · Buck Island Lake 12 mi · Crater Lake 13 mi · Lake Tahoe 17 mi, CA/NV · Lost Lakes 18 mi · Lost Lakes 18 mi · Tamarack Lake 21 mi · Spooner Lake 21 mi, NV · Wet Meadows Reservoir 23 mi · Salt Springs Reservoir 25 mi
See how American Lake stacks up: best brook trout lakes in California
More water nearby: El Dorado County fishing maps (5 charts). Browse all California fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.