Lake Davis Fly Fishing Guides

Lake Davis in Northern California's Sierra Nevada Mountains offers some of the most reliable stillwater trophy trout fishing in the state. This is a year round fishery that provides truly spectacular fishing and is a must for serious still water anglers. Lake Davis’s fertile shallows and coves provide excellent trout stalking opportunities and submerged creek beds and channels often hold concentrated numbers of cruising trout. Situated at 5,885 ft elevation in Plumas County near the town of Portola, Davis is surrounded by lush meadows flush with wild flowers in Spring and Summer and fragrant pine forest. This man made lake sits comfortably nestled behind Grizzly Valley Dam which was built in 1966. If you enjoy fly fishing in pristine and scenic settings while sight casting to large rainbows that will test your tackle and skill then Davis should be on your radar. We use a variety of techniques from nymphing and stripping streamers to stalking rising fish with dry flies. But don’t take our word for it. Davis is something you have to experience for yourself!!

We would love to get you out on the water for a one of a kind fly fishing experience you will never forget.

Davis, like many of the stillwater fisheries we guide and fish in Northern California, does’t give up its secrets easily. We have been fishing if for over 30 years and guiding it the last 9 seasons. We are proud of the fact that we learned it’s secrets from local legends and the good old fashion method of trial and error. We will be happy to share the secrets of our success with you.

The Seasons:

Lake Davis has virtually year round potential however the best seasons of Lake Davis are Spring, early Summer, and Fall. In the Spring good fishing begins with the famous damselfly hatch, where sight fishing to individual rainbow trout with the right damsel pattern can be thrilling. It produces some exciting takes and often in shallow water. Summer brings warmer water temps and lower oxygen levels so we focus our fishing elsewhere and wait for Fall. As the air begins to chill Davis trout feel the onslaught of winter coming and begin to gorge on any available food to fatten up for Winter. Fantastic Callibaetis and Blood Midge hatches are common and again sight fishing with the dry fly can be had during the months of September and October. The fish feed greedily at this time and this is when fly fishing is at its best at Lake Davis.

The Species:

Rainbow Trout

Lake Davis rainbows are planted fish as there is not adequate spawning tributaries on this Lake for natural reproduction. However these fish “holdover” year after year and even fish planted this season tend to grow rapidly and look a lot more like wild fish than hatchery ones. The Pike are long gone and the lakes healthy bows are back to being the top predator in this fantastic fishery. There may not be as many trout as there were in the old days but they are larger averaging 2 to 5 lbs! Davis is also home to some of the famous Eagle Lake strain of rainbows. These fast growing fish are robust, hard charging creatures and often acrobatic adversaries. They are a real blast and will test your skill and knot tying prowess. Guests who are not in the know sometimes ask “How will I know when I get an Eagle Lake fish?’ We smile and reply…”You'll know one when you hook one!”

The Hatches:
The aquatic insect hatches on Lake Davis can be very prolific at times and this is what makes this lake so good for fly fishing. Blood midge, dozens of chironomid species, Callibaetis mayflies, backswimmers, Hexagenia mayflies, and damselflies make their home at Lake Davis. Crayfish and snails are also on the menu for the resident rainbow trout. Davis contains the largest biomass of any stillwater in the state of California, you can always count on experiencing a good hatch with rising fish.

The Fishing

There are a variety of ways to fish Lake Davis. We focus on fishing it from our well equipped motorized boats equipped with trolling motors. This allows us to move silently along and target rising fish. We also can hold in areas where fish are cruising and intercept them as they meander along sampling the plethora of aquatic insects that inhabit Davis. We tight line nymph, fish dries, strip streamers and occasionally fish suspended patterns all based on conditions, the guests preferences and skills. We fish both floating and intermediate clear slow sinking lines on 5 and 6 weight rods. On some rarer occasions when fish have moved in the shallows picking off insects such as damsels or chironomids we will even walk the shoreline to target them on foot. Davis is a place where light tip-its can really be helpful in hooking the hard fighting Eagle Lake strain of rainbows that inhabit this lake. Just make sure to be gentle as light line requires finesse!

Guide Rates
Full Day Trips- Consist of 8 hours of guided fishing and instruction with lunch and hot coffee, non alcoholic beverages, flies, rods, reels and all gear provided - $625 (1 or 2 anglers)

Half Day Trips - Include 4 to 4 1/2 hours of guided fishing and instruction with rods, reels and flies and all gear provided - $485(1 or 2 anglers)

Getting here

Lake Davis is located North of Truckee near Portola (highway 70) in Plumas National Forest. From Sacramento head East to Truckee and take exit 188B and turn left on Highway 89. Continue on CA-89 N for 50 miles. Take Westside Rd and Beckwourth Calpine Rd. Turn left on Highway 70. Go West for 1.6 Miles and look for Grizzly Rd. Turn Right. Turn left on Lake Davis R. and left on Canyon drive.

Give us a ring at (707) 287-2939 to answer any questions you may have and get you hooked up with some truly remarkable fish on this fantastic piece of water. A memorable day awaits you on Lake Davis!

Book a Fly Fishing Guide on Davis

To make a reservation, please give us a call at (707) 287-2939.