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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
353-acre lake near Nevada County. The lake tops out around 90 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Drawn out, this is 350 acres of water rimmed by 6.1 miles of bank, broken up by an island. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.3) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 45% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.6 mi with a 0.7-mi widest point. You'll find it in Nevada County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Faucherie Lake, 2 mi west of here.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 41 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (41 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
French Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 77 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 French Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
French Lake is about 90 ft (27 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 rainbow trout 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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Fishing on French 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.
Faucherie Lake 2 mi · Meadow Lake 2 mi · Sawmill Lake 4 mi · Fordyce Lake 4 mi · Culbertson Lake 5 mi · Lower Rock Lake 5 mi · Lake Sterling 5 mi · Feely Lake 5 mi · Lindsey Lakes 6 mi · Carr Lake 6 mi · Blue Lake 7 mi · Weaver Lake 7 mi
See how French Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in California
More water nearby: Nevada County fishing maps (15 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.