Donner Lake Fish Report

Lake trout remain the main target

Donner Lake - Truckee, CA

by Mountain Hardware & Sports
5-27-2025
(530) 587–4844
Website

At Donner Lake, lake trout remain the main target for trollers fishing down deep at 100 feet with Lyman plugs and large Rapalas in the middle of the lake. Surface temps are in the low 50s°F. The Kokanee bite is warming up at 30 feet on pink hoochies. Shore anglers continue to catch rainbows early near the ramp on PowerBait or nightcrawlers. Donner Lake has been stocked twice already this year, making it a favorite in the area to get the most bites. Best fishing remains early before ski boat activity ramps up. Donner Lake capacity is currently at 92%.

More Reports

Mountain Hardware Reports

for Tuesday, May 13th

Donner Lake: At Donner Lake, Mackinaw fishing remains strong
Boca Reservoir: At Boca Reservoir, water levels continue to rise with the winter water shuffle
Stampede Reservoir: Kokanee action is getting better daily at Stampede Reservoir
Prosser Reservoir: Trout action has slowed since the spawn, but some fish are still being taken
Jackson Meadows Reservoir: Once accessible, anglers can expect red-hot early-season fishing for rainbows feeding aggressively post-winter
Lake Tahoe: Lake Tahoe's spring bite is on fire!
Pyramid Lake: At Pyramid Lake, fishing continues to improve post-spawn
Truckee River: Flows are fluctuating with mild to medium runoff from high-elevation snowpack
Little Truckee River: Solid reports of wild browns and rainbows

Mountain Hardware Reports

for Monday, April 21st

Feather River - Middle Fork - Graeagle: The Feather River is flowing great, with the Portola gauge measuring around 200 CFS
Lake Davis: Fishing conditions are rated as fair, with reports of successful catches
Gold Lake: Remains inaccessible due to seasonal road closures at the staging area
Donner Lake: Donner Lake is producing some solid Mackinaw action
Boca Reservoir: Boca’s fishing and boating season is picking up with good flows from the Little Truckee
Stampede Reservoir: Kokanee are starting to bite
Prosser Reservoir: Prosser remains a great spot for float tubers and kayakers
Jackson Meadows Reservoir: Access is shut down due to snow and muddy roads, but thaw is progressing quickly
Lake Tahoe: Lake Tahoe is offering strong spring fishing conditions
Truckee River: Spring is alive on the Truckee River!
Little Truckee River: The Little Truckee River between Stampede and Boca is fishing well