Rollins Lake: Trout Fishing Where The Eagle Soars    By: Dan Bacher March 8, 2007 More Articles by Dan

After I tossed out my lure into the eerily still waters of Rollins Lake near the Long Ravine Marina, an aggressive rainbow trout hit the silver/green offering as I began retrieving it. The big trout jumped out of the water twice and began ripping line off my spinning reel.

As I continued fighting the fish, suddenly I saw a huge bird fly within 100 feet of me towards a dense cluster of pines.

“Hey, that’s a bald eagle,” I suddenly realized. I quickly got the fish, a 16 inch rainbow weighing over 2 pounds, to the shore, released it, and went for my camera. I was hoping to capture a photo of the majestic bird that is the federal Endangered Species Act’s biggest success story.

However, by the time I retrieved my camera, the fast-flying eagle had disappeared into the heavy growth of conifers that line the 900 surface acre Nevada County reservoir that is managed by the Nevada Irrigation District.

I resumed fishing. During the two hours that I was there, I hooked over 30 rainbows, keeping my five fish limit and releasing the rest. The fish were mostly DFG planters ranging from 13 to 16 inches long. I caught the first few fish on chartreuse Nitro Bait, but then switched over to my old reliable, “go-to” lure – Shasta Tackle Company’s legendary Cripplure.

Although I had caught one fish after another while enjoying a close encounter with a bald eagle, I was the only person I could see fishing on the lake. I saw a truck and boat trailer at the Long Ravine Launch Ramp, but I don’t know if that person was out fishing or doing something else.

Rollins Lake, an hour from Sacramento and near the cities of Auburn and Colfax, is a place where you can find good fishing and solitude during the winter and spring months. However, as soon as the water and air temperatures heat up at Rollins in the late spring, the lake is transformed into a mecca for water skiers, personal watercraft enthusiasts and other recreational boaters.

“It’s pretty rare to see another fisherman on the lake during the winter even though you’re less than 10 minutes from Intestate 80 and Colfax,” said Cal Kellogg, Fish Sniffer Associate Editor, who has fished the lake for rainbows, brown trout, black bass and catfish for over a decade.

The eagle that I saw is apparently one of a nesting pair that sits atop the metal derrick on the hill above the North Fork of the Bear River arm of the lake east of “Freeloaders Cove.” “You can often see the eagle standing like a sentinel on a big dead pine right at the mouth of Bear River where it narrows into the Goose Neck,” disclosed Kellogg.

Kellogg and I often joke that the eagles are “Paul’s eagles,” since Kellogg saw one of them circling over the house of Paul Kneeland, Fish Sniffer Advertising Director, on Kellogg’s last trip to Rollins with his wife, Gina, in October. Kneeland is the only person Cal and I know who has eagles circle his house on a regular basis!

Rainbows are the most abundant trout at Rollins. The Department of Fish and Game stocked the reservoir with 6,000 pounds of catchable rainbows in 2006 and expects to plant a similar amount this year. They have already stocked 2,000 pounds of rainbows in the lake this year.

The agency also planted 1,000 pounds of catchable German browns in the reservoir in 2006 – and will probably stock the same amount this year, according to Frank Harris, manager of the DFG’s American River Fish Hatchery in Rancho Cordova.

The browns provide a sleeper fishery at Rollins for those willing to put in the time needed to catch them. The lake’s brown population is a mixture of holdover and wild fish.

There is no official lake record, but browns up to 7 pounds have been documented and fish in the 2 to 4 pound range are relatively common. The browns are known for being long and slender, with Cal Kellogg’s largest ever brown measuring 27 inches long and weighing 5-1/2 pounds. As is the case at other lakes with browns in California, winter and spring is the top time of year to target browns.

“If you want to pursue browns, fast troll the shoreline of the Bear River arm and main body with Rapalas in sizes #7 to #13 in rainbow trout, silver/black and clown colors,” Kellogg confided. “Start your boat at the Long Ravine ramp and troll right up into the Gooseneck where the river narrows.”

Although trolling is the most consistent method, shore fishing with nightcrawlers under bobbers or on sliding sinker rigs will produce fish, particularly during the winter when the fish can be found in the shallows.

Kokanee provide a “wild card” salmonid fishery at Rollins. The DFG planted 40,005 fingerling kokanee at the lake in 2005 and another 16,400 kokes in 2006. Hopefully, some of the fish planted in 2005 will start to show in the catches later this year.

Smallmouth bass are the most prolific gamefish by far in the lake, although they are not known for their size. The largest smallmouth reported last year was a 3-1/2 pounder caught off the Outrigger Grill in the morning before it opened, according to David Plunkett, who with his wife, Elaine, manages the Long Ravine Resort.

“A 13 incher is a quality fish at Rollins,” said Kellogg. “The good thing is that they’re abundant and easy to catch. Small top water lures such as River2 Sea 1/8 ounce poppers, Rebel crawdads and small Yo-Zuris are good to use early and late in the day. Curly tail worms on dart heads are also worth a try.”

Channel catfish offer a decent summer fishery for shore anglers and boaters, particularly at night when the whiskered behemoths go into the shallows to forage. One kid caught a 6-1/2 pound channel catfish on – believe it or not - a French fry last summer, according to Plunkett.

The lake also has a fair population of bluegill and crappie that delight young anglers during the spring, summer and early fall. The crappie aren’t numerous, but the ones taken are generally large. For example, Donnie Rowe of Orchard Springs Resort caught 4 crappie to 2-1-1/2 pounds while bait fishing from a boat last fall in Long Ravine Cove.

During the summer, anglers should fish back in the coves where a 5 mph rule applies and anglers can get away from the recreational boating mayhem. My first ever trip to Rollins many years ago, in a row boat with a friend on a beautiful June day, produced a potluck catch of rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill and redear sunfish from the lake’s relatively calm and secluded coves.

If you want to catch a bunch of trout while enjoying solitude and the chance to see the legendary bald eagle, give Rollins Lake a try this winter or spring!  

Rollins Lake Facts  

Size and elevation: This pretty lake sits at an elevation of 2,100 feet in the Gold Country of the Western Sierra Nevada near Colfax. The lake, managed by the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) as a drinking water supply, has a surface area of 900 acres and 26 miles of shoreline.  

Fishing Options: Recreation and fishing is open year round. Rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon, channel catfish, largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill provide a diverse fishery. No live minnows are allowed for bait.

Camping: There are 250 developed sites for tents in the four recreation campgrounds - Long Ravine, Orchard Springs, Peninsula, and Greenhorn. Full hookups, RV and trailer storage, a disposal station and flush toilets are all available.

Boating: Full service marine facilities include fishing boats, motors, canoes, and paddle boats for rent, houseboat mooring and a floating gas dock. Areas of Long Ravine Cove, the Bear River and Greenhorn arm are strictly enforced no-wake zones. “No Wake” is defined as 5 m.p.h. or a flat wake, whichever is slower.  

Other recreation: family style recreation includes swimming, picnicking, hiking and riding stables with horseback riding trails.  

Long Ravine Campground, PO Box 60, 26909 Rollins Lake Road, Colfax, CA 95713, 530-346-6616, www.rollinslakeresorts.com. Facilities include camping (102 sites/14 electric hookups), RV dump station, launch ramp, day use beach, convenience store, The Outrigger Grill, boat rentals, slip rentals and fuel dock.  

Orchard Springs Resort, PO Box 428, 19085 Larson Road, Chicago Park, CA 95712, 530-346-2212, www.osresort.com. Facilities include camping (82 sites/14 full hookup), 6 cabins, launch ramp, day use beach, convenience store, Orchard Springs Bar and Grill, boat rentals and slip rentals.  

Peninsula Camping & Boating Resort, PO Box 344, Chicago Park, CA 95712, 21597 You Bet Road, Grass Valley, CA 95945, 530-477-9413, www.penresort.com. Facilities include camping (70 sites), RV dump station, launch ramp, day use beach, convenience store, boat rentals and slip rentals.  

Greenhorn Campground, 15000 Greenhorn Access Road, Grass Valley, CA 95945, 530-272-6100. Facilities include camping (82 sites), launch ramp, day use beach, convenience store, boat rentals, Jet Ski rentals, slip rentals and boat service.

More Articles by Dan