Donner Lake Fishing Report

Donner Lake was on fire before 4th of July Weekend! We caught and released over 50 trout for 2.5 days! We were targeting mackinaw at first, fishing down deep, past 60'. They did not want to play. So we started targeting rainbow and brown trout and the rainbow trout were hungry or they might have just planted, because we couldn't stop catching them! We were trolling lures. My better half was trolling 1 rod and I was trolling 2. I had double hookups quite a bit! We fished from 7am to 10am on 7/2 and 7/3 - and caught and released about 50 fish :-) Good times!!!

Mackinaw are the main show right now at Donner, with trollers pulling big plugs… think Rapalas… down deep, around 100–110 feet. The east shore and the area near the main launch are producing best. Kokanee are just starting to wake up, holding at 35–40 feet. CDFW rainbow trout stocks are projected this week, which should boost action for shore casters. PowerBait and floating nightcrawlers remain top picks.

Surface temps start in the low 50s and climb a few degrees by afternoon. Water’s crystal clear, which is helping boat anglers spot depth transitions and structure. The best bite has been early, just before the sun pops.

The rainbow trout fishing at Donner remains good thanks to the cooling temperatures. The stockings in June and July are still providing plenty of catchable fish in the 12 to 15-inch range. The west side has been particularly productive with Powerbait or blown-up nightcrawlers off the bottom.

The Mackinaw bite continues to be slow as most trollers are heading to Tahoe. However, as fall approaches and the water temperature continues to drop, they should become more active (aim for early October). The kokanee bite has been solid, with small schools starting to form. They should be a viable target through October before the spawn. Water levels have dropped to 85 percent capacity.