Penner Lake Fishing

Nevada County

Sierra Fishing Destinations

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Penner Lake Fishing

Grouse Ridge - Nevada County

Penner Lake offers some of the best fishing in the Grouse Ridge area, partly because there are so many other lakes closer to trailheads that divert anglers before they get to Penner Lake. An hour and a half of hiking with some moderate elevation changes will bring you to this lovely little lake along the Crooked Lakes Trail.

Sidetrips

Hiking just west of Penner Lake you reach a notch which looks down on Culbertson Lake. A steep cross-country descent would bring you to its shore, but the return hike would be strenuous. Only experienced cross-country hikers should attempt it. A safer way there would be to follow the Crooked Lakes Trail on to Rock Lake and then swing west on the Lindsey Lake Trail. Better yet, drive to Lindsey Lake and hike less than 2 miles to Culbertson Lake. Some people carry light boats in to the lake.

Penner Lake

Nearby Featured Trips in Nevada County

Crooked Lake - a wonderful place for carefree fishing
Glacier Lake - a beautiful setting with golden trout in the lake
Lower Lola Montez Lake - easy hike from I80 near Donner summit
Milk Lake - Excellent morning fly fishing, a short hike from campgrounds
Penner Lake - one of the best fishing lakes in Grouse Ridge
Round Lake - a quiet, little lake in Grouse Ridge

Penner Lake

In My Creel

#14 Adams
Tan Elk Hair Caddis
Black Humpy
#16 Red Quill
#14 Bird's Nest
Panther Martin

I used mostly flies at Penner Lake, having my best luck fishing with a #14 Adams. Later in the day the Panther Martin lure brought home a nice catch.

Recommended Books, Lures, and Flies for Fishing the Grouse Ridge Area

Top Trails: Sacramento: Must-do Hikes for Everyone, Steve Evans. Covers hikes from California's Sacramento Valley to the Sierra, including a section on Grouse Ridge.
Most Effective Dozen Trout Flies + Fly Box Top Quality, Highly Effective Trout Dry Flies and Nymphs.
acme Tackle SW11/CH Kastmaster Chrome, 1/2 oz.t Ideal for large trout, white and black bass, and smaller salt water species.
California's Best Fishing Waters , Inc. Wilderness Adventures Press

Culbertson Lake

Fishing Supplies

A good selection of fishing supplies, camping gear, and food can be purchased in Nyack, only a few miles west on Interstate 80 from the Highway 20 junction. The store is open 24 hours a day. A gas station and Burger King are located there also. If you are coming up Highway 49/20, stop in Grass Valley at Reel Anglers Fly Shop at 760 South Auburn St.

Fishing supplies can also be found at these places on either side of Donner Summit:

Will Fish Tackle, 11944 Masters Ct., Auburn
Reel Anglers Fly Shop, 760 South Auburn St., Grass Valley
SPD Market, 735 Zion St., Nevada City, California
Mountain Hardware, Exit 85 to Donner Pass Road, Truckee
Truckee River Outfitters and Fly Shop, 10200 Donner Pass Road, Truckee
Cabela's, Interstate 80 at Boomtown, Nevada

Sierra Fishing Destinations

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Making Your Way to Penner Lake

To reach Penner Lake from Highway 80 west of Donner Summit, take the Highway 20 exit and follow it west 4 miles until you come to the turnoff to Bowman Lake. Follow this paved road 8.2 miles to the turnoff to Carr Lake. Travel on a slow, bumpy dirt road for 3 miles to a trailhead parking area at Carr Lake. 4-wheel drive is not necessary unless spring snow is still on the road, but high clearance is a plus. (34 minutes travel time from Hwy 20 to Carr Lake.)

The hike to Penner Lake is a little over 3 miles. Keep your rod handy since you will be tempted to do a little fishingalong the way. Start at the Carr Lake trailhead and hike 1 mile past Feeley Lake to the trail junction near Little Island Lake. Watch for the sign that says Crooked Lakes Trail. Turn left there and hike 1=mile, past Island Lake and past a small ponds. At that point the trial begins a stiff climb up a rocky ridge, affording you great views to the south of the Grouse Ridge area.

Once you cross the ridge you will begin a gradual descent that will lead you to Penner Lake. The trail passes along the east shore of the lake, but I would suggest that you turn to the west as soon as you see the lake and angle down to its southern shore. That's where I found my best fishing, getting my first strike in fifteen seconds and my first fish within five minutes. I found good fishing all along the south shore of Penner Lake and around on the west side. Time ran out before I could work myself out to a peninsula (almost an island) on the east side of Penner Lake.

Lodging and Camping

Lodging for those fishing at Penner Lake or other nearby lakes is available at nearby Cisco Grove, Soda Springs, or Norden. You also could go over Donner Pass to Truckee where you will find plenty of accommodations.

Campsites can be found at Carr Lake, Lake Spaulding, Rucker Lake, and Lindsey Lake. The only nice backpacking campsites I found at Penner Lake were too close to the water to be legal. You might consider camping back at Island Lake or continuing along the Crooked Lakes Trail to Rock Lake, another mile north. There at Rock Lake camp on the south shore.

California's Best Camping

For complete information about more campgrounds in the Grouse Ridge area, see