New Melones Lake
Sonora / Angels Camp · near Sonora / Angels Camp · Gold Country & Central Valley
Fishing
At a glance
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Best season
- Bass spring–fall · trout/kokanee trolling spring
Permits and booking
- Licence required
- Yes
- Licence detail
- CA license (16+) required. New Melones, a big gold-country reservoir on the Stanislaus River, is a top bass and kokanee lake. Water levels fluctuate; launches at Glory Hole and Tuttletown.
What is here
- Features
- Top-tier gold-country bass lake · Trophy spotted bass · Excellent kokanee trolling · Deep, clear foothill water
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Fishing detail
- Water type
- lake
- Water
- fresh
- Methods
- Casting · Trolling · Bait
- Boat
- both
- Target species
- Spotted & largemouth bass · Rainbow trout · Kokanee salmon · Catfish & crappie
- Intl tip
- License required. Spotted bass are the trophy draw — fish points, timber, and deep structure. Kokanee trolling shines in spring/early summer. Water levels vary widely with the year. Launches at Glory Hole and Tuttletown. Combine with the gold-country towns (Angels Camp, Columbia). Big, clear water.
The guide
New Melones, a deep, sprawling reservoir on the Stanislaus River in the heart of gold country, is one of California's premier b…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to New Melones Lake — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.95, -120.53