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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
38-acre lake near Plumas County. The lake tops out around 27 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 37 acres wrapped in 1.8 miles of bank. With a 2.1 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. 71% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 0.4 mi long by 0.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Plumas County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Silver Lake, is 4 mi to the east.
Early season brook trout use the shallows, holding in 2 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 27 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 20 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 23 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (23 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 27 ft before dropping to 4 to 27 ft for winter. Summer brown trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 12 ft. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 27 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 27 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Spring rainbow trout on Three Lakes hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 27 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 27 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 12 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 7 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 5 to 27 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Three Lakes carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 23 ft down.
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 Three Lakes specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Three Lakes is about 27 ft (8 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, brown trout, rainbow trout on Three Lakes.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Three Lakes 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.
Silver Lake 4 mi · Bucks Lake, Lower 5 mi · Grizzly Forebay 7 mi · Butt Valley Reservoir 12 mi · Round Valley Reservoir 17 mi · Lake Almanor 20 mi · Sly Creek Reservoir 26 mi · Eureka Lake 31 mi · Grass Lake 32 mi · Rock Lake 33 mi · Jamison Lake 33 mi · Antelope Lake 36 mi
See how Three Lakes stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in California · best brown trout lakes in California · best brook 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.