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At Lake Amador, the search for fish ends. That mystery has been solved: The fish are here. Look no further. Tons of trout. A sprinkling of giant bass. Crappie, bluegill and catfish.
Amador, you see, is Northern California’s fish factory.
To make it work, campsites, many with lake views, are set up for RVs and tents. A full resort with a small store, marina with boat ramp and rentals, and a 100-foot fishing pier are available.
To bring people in from far and near, some of the largest trout stocks in California go in each winter to spring, about 50,000 pounds into May. In January, the lake manager said the average trout was about 3 pounds, and some anglers go a lifetime without hooking a trout that big.
Lake Amador is 400 acres with 13 miles of shoreline and several deep coves and bays. It’s a gorgeous sight in late winter through spring, full of water and edged by electric green hills. Amador is located 40 miles northeast of Stockton, where the lake is nestled in a pocket in the hills near Ione, fed by Jackson Creek. When you drive in, you cross the dam and the lake is unveiled to your left, a drop-dead beautiful sight, and your heart might start to beat just a little bit harder at what is ahead.
Quiet water is guaranteed at Amador. Water-skiing, tubing and personal watercraft are prohibited. That makes it ideal to bring a kayak or other low-speed craft to explore the coves, bays and maybe find your secret fishing spot.
Lake Amador is a great lake for families to bring their children. For seniors who want a good chance to catch a fish in a stellar setting. And for anybody who wants all doubt removed if there are any fish out there; they are waiting for you right now.
The discussion thus becomes: “Where to fish? What to use? How to use it?”
When you arrive
As you drive in, just after crossing the dam, you turn left to check in at resort headquarters. Here you check in, pay fees and get your campsite. The boat ramp and marina are nearby. In mid-January, the lake was down about 20 feet or so and rising, typical for the date, and the surface temperature was 66 degrees.
The campsites are very pretty through late spring, and about a third of them have lake views. Sites are set up to accommodate RVs with hookups, others for tents or self-contained RVs. The hills seem to glow here in the spring, brightened not only by the electric tones of greenery, but with wildflowers peppered across the landscape, and often migratory songbirds and raptors that spend winter here, attracted by the prime habitat and fish numbers.
Most new arrivals will check in, get oriented, set up their camp and then make their plan, whether to fish from a boat or shore. Both can be good.
The best bet is for trout, the weekly stocks are so high.
From shore, the area along the boat-launch cove can be excellent. In January, the best fishing was near the campground on one side of the lake and the spillway on the other. A key here is water clarity. Heavy rains can muddy up the lake. When the water is murky, shoreliners who use bait can outfish those in expensive boats trolling lures. The preferred entreaties are often Power Nuggets or Mice Tails.
By boat the best spots are the historic Jackson Creek river channel into the central lake area, as well as well up the Carson Arm and the Jackson Creek Arm. The best suggestion is to set up with two lines off of a downrigger line, with a Rapala on the deep line, a Needlefish on the shallow line. It will look like the Rapala is chasing the Needlefish. That simulates a feeding attack, and big trout can find this irresistible to get in on.
My pal Bob Simms of KFBK radio showed me another trick. Use a bright-colored Flatfish or Apex lure, let out at least 100 feet (or far more) of line, and then make slow S turns. The lure will wobble, and rise up and down with the turns, with sudden jerks as your line tightens, and it can drive the fish wild.
If you want to go
Where: Lake Amador, 40 miles northeast of Stockton on Jackson Creek in Amador County
Day use: $10 per vehicle
Boating: $7 boat launch, $4 to launch kayaks, canoes, float tubes; $80 full day boat-and-motor rental ($60 half day)
Fishing: $9 per person, heavily stocked with trout, including lightning trout, with large bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish also available.
RV/tent camping: There are 186 sites, including lake-view, for tents or RVs of any length and 13 group sites for 5-20 vehicles each. Some sites have full hookups (30 and 50 amps). Picnic tables and fire grills are provided. RV sites are $40 per night, $240 per week; tent sites are $20 per night, $25 for premium; reserve at 209-274-4739.
Facilities: Restrooms with showers, free Wi-Fi, convenience store, seasonal cafe, a dump station, pool tables, horseshoe pits, disc-golf course and playground.
Dogs: Leashed pets are permitted. Pets cannot be left unattended.
Contact: Lake Amador Recreation Area, 209-274-4739, www.lakeamador.com.
How to get there
GPS: Use 7500 Lake Amador Drive, Ione
Directions: Drive to Stockton and continue on Highway 99 to Exit 255 for Highway 88E/Waterloo Road. Take that exit 0.2 miles to Highway 88 east and drive 19.1 miles to the split with Highway 12 (signed left for 88). Turn left on Highway 88 and drive 9.7 miles to Jackson Valley Road (well signed). Turn right on Jackson Valley Road. Turn right (well signed) and drive 4.4 miles to Lake Amador Drive. Turn right and drive 1.1 miles (over the dam, lake on your left) to the resort entrance road on the left.
Lake records
Some monster-sized bass and catfish swim these waters and the lake records verify that: A 17.1-pound bass by Tim Kamura; a 39.6-pound catfish by Joe Issac. Others include a 16.4-pound trout and 4.1-pound crappie, where the identity of the lucky angler was not provided at the time of the weigh-in at the store.
Tom Stienstra is The San Francisco Chronicle’s outdoors writer. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @StienstraTom.
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Lake Amador is Northern California’s fish factory - San Francisco Chronicle
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