FISHING

The Collins Lake Recreation Area is 22 miles from Marysville and a similar distance from Grass Valley. Folks living in Sacramento can reach the lake in about an hour. This makes it a great destination for a one and done single-day fishing trip or a multiday camping adventure. The lake sits at an elevation of 1,200 feet, putting it above the winter fog that dominates the valley, but below the snowline during all but the lowest snow events.

Concessions at the lake have been run by the Young family since 1972 (California Sportsman, June 2022) and it seems like they improve and refine the operation every year. Full-hookup RV camping sites are available, as well as many non-hookup sites. Visitors will find two boat ramps, a marina, rental boats, rental cabins, picnic areas, a playground for the kids, hiking trails and a store featuring a coffee and ice cream bar, along with showers, laundry machines and more.

Fishing Options Abound

In terms of the fishing, variety is the word, with outstanding panfish, catfish, bass and trout action on tap. Trout are the most popular gamefish at Collins, but the lake attracts a good number of bass anglers interested in matching wits with the lake’s jumbo spots and Florida-strain largemouth.

Trout planting is robust. In addition to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s planted rainbows, the Young family stocks more than 30,000 pounds of rainbows from private hatcheries annually. Many of the private hatchery trout are trophy fish that range from 5 to 13 pounds. The high-quality food the private hatchery trout receive makes for brightred, restaurant-quality fillets.

A little bird told me that this fall, winter and spring the lake will receive plants of lightning trout, which will be an exciting addition to Collins Lake’s trout menu.

As if these generous plants weren’t enough, the facility along with CDFW and nonprofit fish enhancement organizations manages a trout pen project. The 12 pens work like this: In fall, 500 catchable planters go into each pen. They are fed a high-quality diet until the following spring, when they are released into the lake as hard-charging 2- to 3-pounders that are fully acclimated to the lake. A good percentage of these fish evade the efforts of anglers and become muscular holdovers with a striking