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Fishing French Lake: what the data says
353-acre lake near Nevada County. The lake tops out around 90 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at French Lake
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 41 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 77 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 41 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 23 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 23 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is French Lake?
French Lake is about 90 ft 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.
What fish are in French Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout on French Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on French Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 41 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish French Lake?
For rainbow 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.
Nearby waters
Faucherie Lake · Meadow Lake · Sawmill Lake · Fordyce Lake · Lake Sterling · Culbertson Lake
See how French Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in California
Browse all California fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.