Lake Almanor Depth Map & Fishing Spots (CA)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Almanor, CA

Max 90 ft

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Where to start

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun) window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun)Active window

Typical here: May 1 – Oct 1 · multi-brood; a documented midsummer lull when surface temps push fish deep

nymphthe hours before the midday emergence — nymphs rise off the weed tops in a vertical zigzag that can take hours — sources split between slow 2–4 inch strips with long pauses and a quicker steady retrieve; carry both speeds
dunmidday, roughly 11am into early afternoon
spinnermid-to-late-morning falls

Trout browse the weed-bed edges knocking nymphs loose, then cruise the flats sipping duns at midday — the marquee western lake mayfly.

The midday emergence puts cruisers over weed flats in under 20 ft: a casting bubble with a #14 Callibaetis nymph retrieved dead-slow with pauses is the honest match. Between hatch hours, small spoons and #1 inline spinners along the weed edges and drop-offs pick off the same fish.

The event happens over weed flats and weed-bed edges in 20 ft of water or less

Chironomids (stillwater midges)Active window

Typical here: Apr 25 – Oct 31 · end of April to the end of October at Crowley — the main food source for the entire season

nymphearly morning, start of the day — fish the bloodworm ON the bottom — 4–6 inches off the mud before the emergence starts
pupathe cool morning hours are prime — as the emergence builds, slide the pupa up to 12–15 inches off bottom under the indicator; a little wind chop does the jigging

Concentrates by DEPTH BAND and mud type, not a fixed spot: roughly 20–25 ft in spring, deeper midsummer, in against the feeder creeks in summer heat, 5–25 ft in fall. Match the band.

This one translates almost perfectly: a slip float with a 1/64–1/100 oz midge-pattern jig set 4–15 inches off bottom over a mud flat, dead-sticked with the chop doing the work. Depth control is everything — no moving lure imitates a hanging pupa; the float rig IS the technique.

The event happens over open mud flats alongside weedlines, channels and basin edges; feeder-creek mouths in summer heat

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Sep 30 · the East Walker and Upper Owens terrestrial program

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Next on this water

Damselfly migration · forageMay 25 – Aug 31 · in ~9 months

Hex (Lake Almanor) · mayflyJun 1 – Jul 31 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Lake Almanor

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Lake Almanor on the board.

Fishing Lake Almanor: what the data says

25,397-acre lake near Plumas County. The lake tops out around 90 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

Drawn out, this is 25,393 acres of water rimmed by 56.7 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 2.5, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 36% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 13 mi end to end and 6.8 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Plumas County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Butt Valley Reservoir, 8 mi south of here.

Brown Trout fishing at Lake Almanor

Spring brown trout on Lake Almanor hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 25 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 41 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run after dark and early morning. The summer box starts with a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night).

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (23 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	25 to 60 ft	night & dawn	Break off the point (41 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Rock reef (9 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dawn	Sharp break (5 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Almanor

Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Rock reef, a rock pile in the 9 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (5 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (9 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (9 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (41 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Almanor

Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (41 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake Almanor

In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (9 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (9 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (23 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (41 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Brown Bullhead fishing at Lake Almanor

Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 8 ft	dusk & night	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)
Summer	3 to 12 ft	night & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)
Fall	5 to 15 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (77 ft)

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Almanor

Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Winter channel catfish concentrate at Break off the point, a good-rated drop-off around 41 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Sharp break (5 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Sharp break (5 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Break off the point (41 ft)

Lake Almanor also holds common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Count 17 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 77 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 77 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 41 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 37 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 23 ft
Secondary point: point, around 23 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 9 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 5 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 2 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 2 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 2 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Lake Almanor fishing regulations

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 Lake Almanor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official California fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Almanor?

Lake Almanor 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.

What fish are in Lake Almanor?

Anglers target brown trout, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp on Lake Almanor.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Almanor?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Almanor?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Almanor?

Fishing on Lake Almanor 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.

Nearby waters

Butt Valley Reservoir 8 mi · Round Valley Reservoir 15 mi · Silver Lake 17 mi · Three Lakes 20 mi · Silver Lake 21 mi · Bucks Lake, Lower 25 mi · Grizzly Forebay 26 mi · Antelope Lake 30 mi · Eagle Lake 34 mi · Lake Davis 41 mi · Eureka Lake 41 mi · Grass Lake 44 mi

See how Lake Almanor stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best smallmouth bass lakes in California · best channel catfish lakes in California · best rainbow 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.