Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3905 Feb 14-28 | Page 17

Sugar Pine Reservoir Facts Giant Gap Ridge Rd Shirttail CG r il C tta ir Sh Office ) (OHV Cartop Launch Sugar Pine Reservoir Morning Star Reservoir (Pvt.) Giant Gap CG Forbes Creek Group CG 10 Trailer Dump Station gar Cool Pilot Hill To Sacramento Sugar Pine (OHV) Staging Area 10 To Foresthill Rd I80 & Auburn (20 Miles) Sugar Pine Recreation Area Placer County Coloma Rescue ree k d Area Map s C 1.3 mi. oa Newcastle e R To Foresthill Rd I80 and Auburn (18 Miles) Loomis Rocklin Sugar Pine Twin Pines Res Foresthill Meadow Vista d l R l i th res Fo Auburn Penryn To Reno, NV To Grass Valley & Nevada City Pin e Cr eek rbe Parker Flat (OHV) Staging Area Su Pagg Fo Dam History and Location: Sugar Pine is located in the Tahoe National Forest at 3,620 feet above sea level. Fishing season: Fishing is open year round for rainbow trout, brown trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish and bluegill. Access can be tough during winter storms. Fishing is most popular from mid-May through November. Picnicking: Manzanita Picnic Area: North shore, 23 sites. There is mile-long, paved, shoreline trail suitable for wheel- chairs. The rail continues on a gentle, rolling grade for another 2.5 miles around lake to south shore. Camping: Forbes Creek Group Campground: Southeast side, two 50-person campsites, central parking suitable for RVs. There is a paved boat ramp nearby. Swimming is not recommended near ramp. Fees and reservations required. Giant Gap Campground: North shore, 30 campsites, some access for trailers/RVs. This is a fee area; reservations accepted. Double or triple vehicle sites are available. Shirttail Creek Campground: North shore, 30 campsites, some double and triple vehicle sites, and moderate trailers/ RVs okay. This is a fee area; reservations are accepted. Boating facilities: All craft is allowed, but there is a 10-mph speed limit. Paved boat ramp on south shore. This is flat water paddling lake. With the limit on power boating, this is a good lake to let kids learn and adults practice. Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Trails: 
Well groomed OHV Trails in the Sugar Pine Recreation Area attract off-road riders of trail bikes, dirt bikes and quads. Parker Flat and Sugar Pine OHV Staging are provided primarily for OHV users. Both sites have vault toilets and a loading ramp. Parker Flat is suitable for car and tent campers. Sugar Pine Staging is for RV use and day parking; tent camping is not permitted. Both provide easy access to the Foresthill OHV trail system. China Wall OHV Staging area, approximately 5 miles further northeast on Foresthill road is also a popular kick-off point to access the many OHV trails that criss-cross the Divide. Information and Reservations: Tahoe National Forest, 631 Coyote Street, Nevada City, CA. 95959, phone 530-265-4531. For camping reservations, call 1-877-444-6777. Directions: From Foresthill follow Foresthill Divide Road east for 7 miles, then turn left (north) on Sugar Pine Road #10. It is five miles to the reservoir. 15 Feb 14 - 28, 2020 MAP FEATURE VOL.39 • ISS. 5 Drawn by Dewayne Hight Placerville Fishing Notes • Rainbow Trout are the most popular fish at Sugar Pine. Shore anglers find the best fishing from March through June. Fish PowerBait, Atlas Mike’s Sierra Gold Trout Bait, salmon eggs and nightcrawlers from the dam and boat ramp area. A hiking trail around the lake allows you easy access to the shoreline. Trollers also experience excellent trout action during the spring and fall.. Use Cripplures, Hum Dingers, Tasmanian Devils, Speedy Shiners, Needlefish, Rapalas and other lures in the top 20 feet of water. When the water temperature warms up during the summer, trolling with downriggers or leadcore line is a necessity. • Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass both are found in the lake. Target rocks and stumps for the smallmouths and trees and brush for the    largemouths. Since the water is so clear, finesse worms and Senkos can be very productive. Other good lures include crankbaits, ripbaits,    spinnerbaits and jigs. • Channel Catfish offer the top action in the summer and fall. Dunk mackerel, chicken liver, nightcrawers and sardines in the creek inlets. • Bluegill and Redear Sunfish are found in the lakes warmer coves and off points. Fish redworms and small jigs in the spring and summer. around campgrounds; a boat ramp, hiking trails, trees, brush picnic area, swimming beach and a and other trailer dump station. Most facilities are structure. wheelchair-accessible. The fish The reservoir has been open to fishing hit best and other recreation since 1985. The dam on Senkos is a feature of the Bureau of Reclama- and Caro- tion’s Central Valley Project, American lina-rigged River Division, Folsom Auburn Unit. The Aaron’s reservoir provides water for Magic irrigation, municipal and pattern industrial uses to the Forest- plastic hill Divide area. worms,” For more information, divulged contact Tahoe National Kellogg. Forest, 631 Coyote Street, Besides Nevada City, CA. 95959, Fishing from a kayak is one of the best ways to hook rainbow trout, rainbow phone 530-265-4531. smallmouth bass and largemouth bass at Sugar Pine Lake, as Cal Kellogg, Fish Sniffer Editor, can attest. trout and Fishing and camping Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff. black bass, is also available at Big the lake Reservoir, a privately owned also feature bluegill, redear sunfish and 80-acre lake, out of the wild trout inhabit the lake’s tributaries. channel catfish. Bank anglers do best tossing out Kast- During an electro- masters, Thomas Buoyants, Little Cleos shocking survey in and Cripplures, Power Bait, nightcrawlers 2000, CDFW biologists and Berkley Gulp Baits. The points near observed five to six the boat ramp offer the best fishing. year classes of bass and This lake can be fished all year round, sunfish. Although they though access can get tough after snow- saw plenty of 2 to 3 storms in the winter and spring. pound largemouths, they While trout are the fish most pursued didn’t see any “monster” here, the largemouth and smallmouth bass bass. population is probably the most robust In an electroshocking fishery at the lake. survey for just three “What people are missing is the quality hours in February 2009, bass fishery available at the lake,” said Department biologists Kellogg. “I saw more than a dozen large- collected 2 YOY (young mouth bass that I estimated to be over 5 of the year) spotted bass, pounds spawning in shallow water during two YOY smallmouth one trip last year. I have observed sunfish bass and 2 YOY bluegill. on the surface that had been attacked by The lake also features something, probably a big bass.” a small population of On a trip that Kellogg made with Don channel catfish. The fish Paganelli of Paganelli’s Bass Fishing average 2 to 3 pounds, Experience six years ago, the two caught though larger fish are and released more than a dozen bass. The possible. fish were a mixture of smallmouth and Smallmouth bass provide top-notch light tackle Sugar Pine contains largemouth averaging 1 to 1-1/2 pounds action at Sugar Pine for anglers fishing from two group camp- each. kayaks in the spring, summer and fall months. grounds, two family Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff. “We found the fish in 10 feet of water Morning Star Campground. The facilities are open from Memorial Day weekend through October 15. The lake features rainbow trout, largemouth bass, channel catfish, and bluegill for anglers to pursue. Boat and electric trolling rentals are available, but private boats aren’t allowed. For more information, call Morning Star Campground at 530-367-2129.