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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
33-acre reservoir near Plumas County. The lake tops out around 82 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Grizzly Forebay runs 33 acres with 1.8 miles of edge. The 2.2 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. 33% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 0.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.3 mi at the beam. The water lies in Plumas County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Bucks Lake, Lower, 4 mi east of here.
When the water first warms, brown trout slide up into 3 to 25 ft. Summer is a 25 to 60 ft game here, winter a 5 to 35 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 37 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run after dark and early morning. Keep a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (37 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (37 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 8 to 40 ft for winter. Winter rainbow trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 37 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (37 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 70 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Grizzly Forebay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Grizzly Forebay is about 82 ft (25 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 brown trout, rainbow trout on Grizzly Forebay.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 37 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Grizzly Forebay 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.
Bucks Lake, Lower 4 mi · Three Lakes 7 mi · Silver Lake 9 mi · Butt Valley Reservoir 19 mi · Sly Creek Reservoir 22 mi · Round Valley Reservoir 23 mi · Lake Almanor 26 mi · Eureka Lake 32 mi · Grass Lake 33 mi · Rock Lake 33 mi · Jamison Lake 34 mi · Salmon Lake, Upper 37 mi
See how Grizzly Forebay stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in California · best brown trout lakes in California
More water nearby: Plumas County fishing maps (14 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.