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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
41-acre lake near Sierra County. The lake tops out around 13 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Salmon Lake, Upper maps at 40 acres behind 1.1 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.2 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 0.4 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. Sierra County claims this one. If the bite dies, Packer Lake is 2 mi to the south.
Come spring, look for brook trout tight to the bank in 2 to 13 ft. Through summer count on 4 to 13 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 11 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (11 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 2 to 13 ft | dawn | Deep basin (11 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Count 5 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 11 ft.
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 Salmon Lake, Upper specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Salmon Lake, Upper is about 13 ft (4 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 brook trout on Salmon Lake, Upper.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For brook 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 Salmon Lake, Upper 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.
Packer Lake 2 mi · Sardine Lake, Upper 3 mi · Jamison Lake 4 mi · Rock Lake 5 mi · Grass Lake 5 mi · Eureka Lake 8 mi · Weaver Lake 13 mi · Sawmill Lake 15 mi · Lower Rock Lake 16 mi · Faucherie Lake 17 mi · Culbertson Lake 17 mi · Lindsey Lakes 17 mi
See how Salmon Lake, Upper stacks up: best brook trout lakes in California
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.