
Rollins Reservoir: A Tale of Two Seasons
Situated amidst a conifer forest on the Bear River in Nevada County near Colfax, Rollins Reservoir is like two different bodies of water, depending on whether you fish it during the summer or fall, winter and spring.
In the summer, the lake is a maelstrom of personal watercraft, water skiers and recreational boaters. Fishing for the lake's rainbow trout, German brown trout, spotted, largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish is best during the early morning and late afternoon hours due to the heavy boating traffic during the day. Concentrating on the more peaceful 5 mph coves is also highly advisable.
In contrast, during the fall, winter and spring, the lake is known as a place to find solid fishing for rainbow and brown trout, as well as black bass and panfish, amidst solitude. Bank fishing and trolling are both effective methods for pulling out trout at this time of year.
Richard McGuire and his brother, Ron, nailed their two limits of rainbow trout while casting crankbaits in the Greenhorn Creek arm of Rollins Lake on November 17.
Rollins is located at an elevation of 2,100 feet and features a surface area of 900 acres and 26 miles of shoreline.
On November 17, the recreational boats and personal watercraft users that enjoy the lake during the summer were gone and anglers dominated the reservoir.
Richard McGuire of Lincoln and Ron McGuire of Weimar had a great time fishing in the lake that afternoon, when they landed 10 rainbows in less than an hour while tossing out crankbaits, along with one spotted bass, in the Greenhorn arm of the lake.
“This is my home lake,” said Richard. “I like to fish it year around from my kayak for trout, bass and crappie. The bass fishing has been off and on lately. On my latest bass trip here, I caught and released 11.