Jim English caught this quality brown trout at French Meadows Reservoir while fishing worms from the south shoreline. Photo by Cal Kellogg

Dawn broke cold and gray. The low mantle of clouds threatened snow. It was April but it felt more like October. I hadn't fished French Meadows since the previous fall, before snow blocked the access road. Anxious to get started I launched my boat in record time and headed for Anderson Dam. I planned to begin trolling on the north end of the dam where a stream flows into the lake.

Closing on the creek I saw a fish break the surface as it chased minnows. My pulse quickened. Without wasting time I killed the gas motor, switched to the electric trolling motor and put two rods in the water. The first sported a silver and black No. 9 Rapala, the second a smoke-colored 3-inch grub.

The rods were in their holders about a minute when the Rapala got hammered. I grabbed the rod and felt the head shaking of a quality trout. A split second later a chrome-bright rainbow rocketed to the surface for the first of three rapid jumps. Initially I thought it was the fish I was fighting but about the time the rainbow threw the hook it dawned on me that the jumping trout was actually on my second rod. Even if you don't land both fish a double hook up is still a fine way to start the day!

Four hours later I was back in my camp eating chili with Willie Nelson -- well, Willie was on the radio -- and had four husky 'bows in my cooler. It had been another great morning of trout fishing beyond the Foresthill Divide.

If you want to catch trout and plenty of them, Northern California is a great place to live. At the mention of trout fishing places like Shasta, Almanor, Eagle, Whiskeytown and Davis immediately jump to mind. These familiar lakes represent the jewels in Northern California's trout fishing crown. While I enjoy fishing these notable waters, I also get great satisfaction targeting lesser-known lakes that offer top-notch action but in a more serene atmosphere.

Six years ago I stumbled upon a trio of high country trout lakes -- French Meadows Reservoir, Hell Hole Reservoir and Stumpy Meadows Reservoir -- that are definitely off the beaten path. East of Auburn, all three are outstanding trout fisheries nestled in the granite-studded beauty of the western Sierra Nevada. Even though these lakes are situated reasonably near one another, they each offer a unique angling experience.

FRENCH MEADOWS RESERVIOR
French Meadows has the attributes to delight any trout fanatic. In fact, knowledgeable anglers consider French Meadows among the top trout lakes in the Sierra.

The lake is situated at 5,200 feet, in a timbered valley on the headwaters of the American River's Middle Fork. By high country standards, French Meadows is large with 1,900 surface acres and more than 8 miles of shoreline.

At first glance French Meadows provides few obvious clues for the first-time angler. The lake is oblong in shape with no prominent points, peninsulas or other obvious structure. A closer look reveals plentiful habit, big numbers of trout and forage aplenty.

The lake's central feature is its submerged river channel. The depth here averages about 100 feet and affords the trout deep-water sanctuary. From the deep-water channel the bottom rises quickly at first and then more gradually, resulting in large flats ranging from 10 to 50 feet in depth. The lake bottom is composed of small- to medium-sized rock and is punctuated by tree stumps and boulders, which provide the trout cover and shade.

Annually the DFG stocks French Meadows with 9,700 catchable rainbows and 1,200 browns in the foot-long class. Combine these planters with a strong resident population of holdovers from previous years and you've got the makings of something special. The lake's rainbows average 12 to 22 inches while browns range beyond 6 pounds.

The quality of a trout fishery is dictated in large part by the quality of forage it eats. Look beneath the surface of a great trout fishery and you'll find a diverse and plentiful prey base. Pond smelt, crawfish, sculpins, juvenile trout, caddis flies and other invertebrates fuel French Meadows' trout fishery. Pond smelt represent the lake's primary forage,, with crawfish running a strong second. Caddis hatches occur on most evenings from summer through early fall. On windless evenings the hatching caddis can provide fly anglers with good surface action.