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Lake Solano

Current Report - All summer is good on Lake Solano for trout.

**This fishery is very close to the bay area, Davis and Sacramento making it a good choice for many.

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Lake Solano Information

This shallow weedy lake might be one of the most under rated trophy wild trout fisheries in Nor Cal. It is just west of the little town of Winters and is on the Putah Creek drainage. It is very cold and is rich in nutrients so it is not very clear but does hold very large Rainbow and especially Brown trout. It is best fished in the summer and has a good flow running throw it. From hwy 505 you take hwy 128 right through Winters to the lake. When you first see the water on your left you are at the Pleasants Valley Road turn off and bridge where it goes over the lake.

There is a little convenience store on the left corner before you go over the bridge. You can park at the store and walk down and out on the bridge to observe the area. In this stretch the summer flow makes it seem more like a spring creek than a lake. After crossing the highway bridge on Pleasants Valley Road to your right is the county camp ground and to the left is the day use picnic area with boat launch with paddle boat and canoe rentals on the weekends. No motors are allowed and with the summer flow the current is just enough to make it a little difficult to go upstream unless you are in a pontoon boat, canoe, kayak or small boat that rows easily. You can go about 8 tenths of mile upstream on hwy 128 past the Pleasant Valley Road turnoff heading up Putah Creek and find a pull-out where there at the end of a very large island which is the top of the lake water. From there some will put in and float down to the bridge or even all the way down to the main lake and dam. Another access for float tubes or watercraft you can carry down to the water is the gravel shoulder parking on the part of Putah Creek Road which paralleling the lower or main part of the lake by the dam. Some edge wading is possible along the lake especially just below the Pleasants Valley Road bridge on the east side and down stream.

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Tackle

Like most lakes we like a 9 foot or longer fly rod in #4/5 line size with a soft tip if you are going to fish the surface hatches and be casting to working fish with small flies(#16/20) on light tippet (5x-6x). You can use a #6 line rod if you will be using clear slow sinking lines and large black wooly buggers or leeches with heavier 3x tippet. Have a floating line for on or near the surface and a clear slow sinking line for working streamer, buggers and leeches.

**Local fly fisher Steve Orhwal of the Flyfishers of Davis has developed a pattern that is very popular in the AM and PM when the fish are up on top feeding. It has a wooley worm style tied with a small olive chenille body with a stiff short brown palmered dry fly hackle and no tail. I think it is tied on a size #12 wet fly hook that is 2x or 3x long. I think it is tied unweighted too. On a floating line with a 9' 4x leader you just cast it to rising fish, keep your tip down and start a short fast strip.

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Regulations: Artificals lures, barbless hooks and zero limit year round now. Yahoo............

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Fishery: Mostly wild Rainbow and Brown tout with some Smallmouth and Large Mouth Bass and big Carp.

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Lake Solano Maps

• Courtesy FlyFishNorCal site.
• Courtesy Fish Sniffer site.
• Courtesy Google maps - click on 'satellite' on upper right corner of map

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Fish Sniffer Article on Lake Solano by Dan Bacher

Fly Fishing Guides

• Kiene's Lake Solano Guide recommendations.

Ryan's friend Robert with a nice one from Lake Solano