Paved access to this pass' fishing leaves the Highway 89 just fifteen minutes north of where Truckee is. It will run down along the Little Truckee River until it reaches the end of the pavement which is at the Jackson Meadows Reservoir Dam. Here you will find dirt roads that network across several dozen drive in lakes and the middle fork of the Yuba River as well as the hike in lakes of the Grouse Ridge. The best road is the one that runs to Bowman Reservoir where there is a choice of routes west to both Highway 49 and 20.
The Jackson Meadows Reservoir
This is a truly ideal spot for anyone that wants to camp on pavement, especially because it is centrally located for anyone interested in Henness Pass Fishing. Jackson Meadows does generally get pretty crowded during the summer months. There are about 140 different sites in five different campgrounds to handle these mobs. There are also generally two different group camping areas that you can take advantage of. There are drive in fishing opportunities that begin in the early summer. In the spring, you should aim to make use of the sheltered coves that can be found near the launch ramp and the island.
The waters here warm first, providing you with decent bait action early enough in the year, which is just before the top line trolling is going to peak, offering small minnow plugs as well as streamers. Try casting or trolling using small crayfish finished plugs, especially off of the steep west-side banks between the dam and Woodcamp. This is definitely a favorite spot for locals that want to drown their worms beneath bobbers. The east side of the dam is the best place to go any time that the reservoir is full, and the west side generally improves when the water level begins to drop.
Fly fishermen would do well to begin at the mouth of the stream of the narrow cove where the Pacific Crest Trail where the sheltered waters manage to salvage windier days where the fishing normally would not be good. The points on the west bank are generally not bad at all during calm mornings as well as evenings if you are looking for cruising fish, especially if you are using a boat.
In the spring and in the fall, you can combine spinners and spoons with lure casters along the beach around Woodcamp. This is a great place for you to go fishing if you are packing air injected worms, especially early on in the spring. Deep trolling definitely works best for boaters during the summer when it comes warmer. Haypress Creek offers excellent brook trout action in a setting that is meadow-like.
Milton Reservoir
This area is located just two miles down stream and is reachable by way of a dirt road from the Jackson Meadows Reservoir. Milton is definitely fishable by way of the bank, and the mouth bank tends to offer the best fishing in this area. There are large weed bends that tend to limit retrieves, and the best brown trout sometimes seem to be just beyond casting range. If you have a float tube, a raft or a canoe, then you will be able to improve your fishing capabilities in this space.
During the summer evenings, you can use floating fly lines or bubbles in order to match the hatch from the afternoon. The dominant insect here appears to be the Callibaetis mayfly. There are also lots of midge and micro Caddis which are definitely standard fair, but in June you can also find a Gray Drake Hatch which matches up well with the Adams #10 lure. There are a number of effective patterns that you can use including the Callibaetis Emerger, the Crippled Mayfly, the Adams, the Midge and the Pheasant Tail. Look for weed bed edges where the brown trout are lurking in the shade for comfort.
At dusk you can use popping bugs in an attempt to catch more browns. Lure fishermen and fly fishermen tend to do best in the inlet current using imitation fly larvae as well as small streamers. It would be a good idea for you to put fly line floatant on your monofilament line so that it will float over the week beds rather than sinking down into it and becoming snagged. It I also wise for you to cast upstream from the dam ends. If you have a canoe or a float tube, it is possible for you to slowly approach the floating weed beds, using jigs and small nymphs or crappie jigs in water pockets and underneath the weedy areas.
Early on in the season, the pools in the Middle Fork of the Yuba River below the Jackson Meadows Reservoir will hold excellent fish. Results are going to depend on the dam releases, and a good choice is silver spoons if the water is high or appears to be off color. If you are planning to fish in this area, make sure that you check out the regulations so that you are fishing on the up and up.
Webber Lake and the Lake of the Woods
Webber Lake is one of the very view private lakes that you will find in the Sierra, and it has been closed to public fishing since 1993. Now it is a membership resort that can be found 1.5 miles due south from Jackson Meadows Road, and it is best known for providing exceptional action for solid brown trout fishing.
The fall fly fishing for brown trout is especially good when it comes to fishing off boats. Not only is this a special fishing experience but it is an uncrowded one as well. Bring a size 10 Dave's Hopper and you will take as many 12 inch to 16 inch brown trout as you would like to. Lure fishermen seem to do particularly well when they have a spinner and a slow retrieval.
Small dark fly spinners and spoons work well in the Lake of the Woods, which is a fine little lake if you are looking for monster brown trout and small little brook trout. This lake is nearby and is reachable by a dirt road to the north from Jackson Meadows Road. The lake is only a short hike away and is well worth checking out when you are in the area. There are a lot of brook trout here, and size 16 black ants seem to do well for this occasion, especially in the month of June. The water tends to be warm enough that by the time the road opens, you can use lures to catch limits here.
There are two small potholes just off of the end of the dirt road past the Lake of the Woods where you will find decent catches of brook trout if they haven't been frozen out. Hikers can do some pocket water fishing here on the way to Little Truckee near the outlet of Webber Lake.
The Bowman Reservoir
This reservoir offers prime fishing water that is easy to reach by way of a dirt trail that travels away from the Jackson Meadows Reservoir and it is also reachable by way of Highway 20 through Fuller Lake and Henness Pass waters. This is one of the spots that most people drive by when traveling someplace else without even realizing that they passed up a gem.
The best shore fishing is going to be found at the east side where there are two different water sources to take advantage of. Canyon Creek, Sawmill Lake and above, plus there is a tunnel that brings water in from the Milton Reservoir.
When fishing at Bowman, boat fishing seems to be the choice especially with close shore trolling on the lake's north side, which is especially good in the early half the season. As the lake levels fall, better trolling can be expected on the lake's south side. There is another good trolling area on the south which is the lake's inlet where there are narrow sections where bait fishermen can drift worms and bobbers for solid results. The stream also deserves a shot because there are plenty of fish biting there as well.
You can expect decent fly casting in most evenings, especially off the islands when you have a 12 Light Cahill or a Mosquito. At times with a size 16 Red or Black Ant you may also have good results. Sinking streamers and lines will suit stumpy areas as well.
Weaver and McMurray
These lakes have a lot of brown trout in them that originally came from the Milton Reservoir. There is a fair campground here and a nicely sloping bank for the purpose of boat launches when you visit McMurray. This lake is really tiny meaning that it cannot hide much, and so trying a variety of different fishing methods is definitely a good idea.
You can try paddling out a canoe, trolling with Olive Wooly Buggers or Brown Wooly Buggers in a size 8 or 10, or you can cast to risers to take out a 10 to 16 inch brown trout. When the lake is more than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, you are going to find little action save for at dawn which is when the water is cooler.
You will find more trout in Weaver lake, as it is much larger and much deeper than McMurray. You are going to need to look harder to find the fish that you want, however, because of the size of this one. Fall is generally superb when it comes to fishing, especially in the inset cove which is on the north side around the peninsula. When the water gets warmer you should switch to medium sized plugs and fish along shady sides of logs if you are looking for larger brown trout. The Size 16 Black Ants seem to work particularly well.
Photo Credits: SugaShane
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