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Collins Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Northern California's trophy-trout pond: a foothill reservoir famous for planting the state's biggest stockers and letting camp families catch them.

2/5

Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Water temp

~54 F est.

Air / High

64 / 70 F

Wind

SSW 7 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view

Friday

4

September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Collins Lake is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. Today brings clear skies, wind SSW around 7 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 70. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 76 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp64 F

High / Low70 / 57 F

WindSSW 7-11 mph

Pressure1013.2 hPa, rising

Sky / Rain23% cloud, 25%

Sunrise / Sunset06:36 / 19:31

MoonLast Quarter, 50%

Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 70/57 F, wind 9 mph, rain 25%

Fair or better. A 9 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Collins Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Collins Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

Rainbow trout

Brown trout

SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Collins Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data

Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 63 F, wind to 12 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 72 F, wind to 13 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 72 F, wind to 12 mph.

Before you go

License

California requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

California license. Trout limits per resort/CDFW combo rules: check Collins Lake postings. Day-use fee.

Access

Resort ramp and marina, bank access throughout the campground shores.

About this water

1,000 acres in the Yuba foothills, Yuba County, CA. The trophy-stocker family lake.

Fishing Collins Lake: the full guide

The big-stocker specialist

Collins built a cult on one promise: trophy-sized planted rainbows: the private resort stocks fish to 10-plus pounds all spring, layered over Fish and Wildlife plants. The result is California's most reliable big-trout family water: bank chairs, sliding-sinker rigs and genuine 5-lb averages during the spring program.

Working the plant cycle

Spring (February-May) is prime: stockings run weekly, fish hold near the dam and marina points, and dough baits or inflated crawlers off the bottom do the signature work. Trollers pull grubs and spoons at 5-15 ft early, deeper as the foothill sun warms the top: the lake's modest size makes finding the school a morning's work.

The warm-water second act

Summer shifts the lake to its bass-and-crappie self: largemouth in the flooded willows and rock points (the lake steadily grows quality fish), crappie under the lighted docks, catfish on the evening stink-bait shift. The trout sulk deep by July: trolling the dam's 30-40-ft band picks holdovers.

Resort rhythm

Collins runs as a private campground fishery: day-use and camping fees, a well-stocked marina, and rules tuned to families (reserved swim areas, courteous-distance trolling). It is unashamedly put-and-take fishing done at its best: the trophy plants make the memories the point.

Common questions

How big are Collins Lake trout really?

Spring plants include fish from 3 to 10-plus pounds: the resort publishes stocking logs. It is the state's most honest shot at a wall-worthy rainbow from a lawn chair.

When should I visit Collins Lake?

February through May for the trophy program: fall brings a smaller second push. Summer belongs to bass and campground swimmers: plan accordingly.

Is fishing good at Collins Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Bullards Bar Reservoir9 mi Yuba River10 mi Lake Oroville17 mi Feather River19 mi Sacramento River42 mi Folsom Lake43 mi

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