Sawmill Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (CA)

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Lake depth chart

Sawmill Lake, CA

Max 45 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 Sawmill Lake

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 Sawmill Lake on the board.

Fishing Sawmill Lake: what the data says

107-acre lake near Nevada County. The lake tops out around 45 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

The outline encloses 107 acres, worked by 2.5 miles of shoreline. With a 1.7 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Roughly 52% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 0.8 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. Nevada County claims this one. Lower Rock Lake sits 2 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.

Brown Trout fishing at Sawmill Lake

Spring puts brown trout in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 14 to 45 ft, wintering in 5 to 35 ft. Summer brown trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 20 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	14 to 45 ft	night & dawn	Break off the point (20 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dawn	Break off the point (20 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Rainbow Trout fishing at Sawmill Lake

Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter an 8 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 20 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (20 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (20 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 38 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 38 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 20 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 11 ft
Secondary point: point, around 11 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft

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

Check the official California fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Sawmill Lake?

Sawmill Lake is about 45 ft (14 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 Sawmill Lake?

Anglers target brown trout, rainbow trout on Sawmill Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Sawmill Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Sawmill Lake?

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 Sawmill Lake?

Fishing on Sawmill 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.

Nearby waters

Lower Rock Lake 2 mi · Faucherie Lake 2 mi · Culbertson Lake 2 mi · Lindsey Lakes 3 mi · Feely Lake 3 mi · Weaver Lake 4 mi · Carr Lake 4 mi · French Lake 4 mi · Meadow Lake 6 mi · Blue Lake 6 mi · Rucker Lake 7 mi · Fordyce Lake 8 mi

See how Sawmill Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in California · best brown 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.