Lake Davis Depth Map & Fishing Spots (CA)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Davis, CA

Max 105 ft

Today's read

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

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 Davis

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 Davis on the board.

Fishing Lake Davis: what the data says

4,103-acre lake near Plumas County. The lake tops out around 105 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

Lake Davis maps at 4,080 acres behind 39.8 miles of shoreline — 3 islands included. With a shoreline index of 4.4, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 40% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 5.4 mi with a 2.1-mi widest point. It sits in Plumas County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Eureka Lake, is 15 mi to the southwest.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Davis

Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 26 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline point (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (5 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (26 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (47 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Davis

Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.

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	Shoreline point (4 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (47 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Brown Bullhead fishing at Lake Davis

Spring brown bullhead on Lake Davis hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in 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 (89 ft)

Notable structure

Count 10 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 89 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 89 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 47 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 43 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 26 ft
Secondary point: point, around 26 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 5 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 4 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 4 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Lightning Tree Boat Ramp — ramp

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

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

Check the official California fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Davis?

Lake Davis is about 105 ft (32 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 Davis?

Anglers target rainbow trout, largemouth bass, brown bullhead on Lake Davis.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Davis?

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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Davis?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Davis?

Fishing on Lake Davis 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

Eureka Lake 15 mi · Grass Lake 16 mi · Rock Lake 17 mi · Jamison Lake 17 mi · Frenchman Lake 17 mi · Salmon Lake, Upper 19 mi · Antelope Lake 19 mi · Packer Lake 21 mi · Sardine Lake, Upper 22 mi · Round Valley Reservoir 27 mi · Weaver Lake 32 mi · Sawmill Lake 33 mi

See how Lake Davis stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best rainbow trout lakes in California · best brown bullhead 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.