Plumas County
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Lake Fishing
Lake Almanor is the largest lake in Plumas County. Fishing is generally good year-round, but fall and winter can be outstanding. The Almanor Fishing Association is a great resource for more information on fishing Lake Almanor.
Butt Valley Reservoir is noted for huge rainbows and browns of trophy trout status. Butt Valley is at its best with flies, jigs and small lures in the inlet when the powerhouse is running.Round Valley Lake near Greenville is a small lake with big bass. This is a great place for children to fish from shore for bluebills. An annual bluegill derby is held here in June.
Bucks Lake in central Plumas is a good all around lake that is especially noted for trophy size (over 16 pound) Mackinaw trout, although the current lake record is over 30 pounds. Fall fly-fishing for rainbow, brown and brook trout is often spectacular in middle to late afternoon.
Little Grass Valley Reservoir is good for rainbow and brown trout, and Antelope Lake is popular for trout, catfish and bass fishing.
Lake Davis and Frenchman Lake are excellent trophy rainbow waters. Fly fishing from the west shorelines, either wading or using float tubes, is good both spring and fall. Both of these lakes are popular for ice fishing during the wintertime.
Stream and Fly Fishing
The main parts of the Feather River are the North Fork and Middle Fork. The North Fork and Hamilton Branch flow into Lake Almanor. These and their smaller tributaries are good trout waters.
The Middle Fork is a federally listed Wild and Scenic River from the outflow of Sierra Valley most of the way to Lake Oroville. The wild river section downstream from the Quincy-La Porte Road bridge is accessible by steep foot trails and provides excellent fishing for strong hikers. Upstream, in the more easily reached scenic and recreation portion near Highway 70 east of Quincy, the Middle Fork holds some nice, if sometimes angler-shy, rainbows and browns.
Yellow Creek, in Humbug Valley, is a stream restoration success involving fishing groups, PG&E and the Department of Fish and Game. Barbless hooks and a restricted limit apply to Yellow Creek to keep it a trophy fishery.
Other streams worth exploring including Indian and Wolf Creeks, in the Indian Valley area, Nelson Creek and Spanish Creek near Quincy, Jamison Creek near Graeagle, and Little Last Chance Creek near Frenchman Lake.Fishing Season
Lakes are open to fishing year round and the stream season usually opens on the last weekend of April and closes in the middle of November. Some streams, such as tributaries to Lake Almanor and Bucks Lake, are not open until the end of May and close at the end of September. Some waters like Yellow Creek have special barbless catch and release provisions. Check the current Department of Fish and Game regulations pamphlet for specific dates and limits.