VOL . 40 • ISS . 6 |
MAP FEATURE |
March 26 , 2021 |
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Rollins Lake Facts
History and size : The earthen dam that creates Rollins Reservoir was constructed in 1965 by the Nevada Irrigation District , with a height of 228 feet and a length of 1,840 feet at its crest . It impounds the Bear River , a tributary of the Feather River , for hydropower , flood control , irrigation water storage , and municipal water use . The dam is one of the ten facilities owned and operated by the Nevada Irrigation District . It is part of the Yuba-Bear Hydroelectric Project . Rollins Reservoir features a surface area of 1.3 square miles and a maximum capacity of 66,000 acre-feet . Rollins Lake Campgrounds : The campgrounds are privately operated but open to the public . At an elevation of 2,300 feet , the lake enjoys a long season . The lake is popular for fishing , water skiing , boating , fishing , swimming , and camping . Long Ravine Campground : is located on a peninsula on the eastern side of the lake . Location : 26909 Rollins Lake Road , Colfax . CA 95713 Campground Amenities : RV and tent campsites , full hook-ups available , large group site Store , flush toilets , hot showers , dump station ( fee ) Picnic tables , BBQs , fire pits Marina , boat ramp , Rollins Lake Boat Rentals , boating , water skiing , fishing Swim platform and slide , beach Reservations : ( 530 ) 346-6166 Orchard Springs Campground : is located on the west shore of Rollins Lake , off Highway 174 via Orchard Springs Road . Location :: 19085 Larsen Rd , Grass Valley , CA 95945 Campground Amenities : 91 RV and tent sites , some RV hook-ups available Restrooms with flush toilets , hot showers • Cabins , marina , store , beach Reservations : summer ( 530 ) 346-2212 , winter ( 530 ) 265-5302 Peninsula Family Camping : is on a peninsula on the northeast side of Rollins Lake . The campground is open during the spring and summer seasons . The resort has over 300 acres . Location : 21597 You Bet Rd ., Grass Valley , CA 95945 Campground Amenities : 70 tent and RV sites along 1.5 miles of lakefront Group sites for up to 24 or 40 • Campfire pit or ring , picnic table Hot showers , restrooms with flush toilets , dump station ( fee ) Cabins for rent , boating , boat rentals , launch ramp , fishing , swimming , kids ’ crafts , volleyball , horseshoes , other sports Reservations : ( 866 ) 4MY-CAMP or California and Nevada residents call ( 530 ) 477-9413 Greenhorn Campground : is located on the northwest side of the lake . To reach the campground take Greenhorn Access Road off Highway 174 and follow the road to the campground . Location : 15000 Greenhorn Access Road , Grass Valley , CA 95945 Campground Amenities : 40 gravel or dirt campsites , some sites with hook-ups Restrooms , showers , store , dump station , WiFi ( fee , limited range ), game room , horseshoes Marina , boat rentals , launch ramp , fishing , boating , swimming Reservations : ( 530 ) 272-6100
To Grass Valley
Bear River Pines
Greenhorn Crk
Greenhorn Road
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Donner Trail Markers
Bear River
Canal
174
Rising Sun Mine
Chicago Park
Head Ranch
Orchard Springs Road
Dam
Shady Glen
Colfax
Colfax Hill
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Peninsula
� Reservoir
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Rollins Reservoir Nevada & Placer Counties
Long Ravine Road
To Sacramento
You Bet Road
Rollins
Poorman Creek
Rollins Lake Road
Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Robbers Ravine
Burnt Flat
Hayford Hill
Stampede
Canyon
Secret Ravine
Boardman Crk
Magra
Bear River
To Truckee
Fishing Notes
• Rainbow Trout are the most commonly caught trout in in Rollins . . The fish fish can can be be taken year taken round year , round but winter , but and winter spring and are spring the top are times the top for times shore for and shore boat and fishing boat for fishing rainbows for rainbows . Shore . Shore anglers anglers use use Power Power Bait Bait , Nitro and Trout other Bait prepared and other baits prepared , as well baits as , as well salmon as salmon eggs , nightcrawlers eggs , nightcrawlers and crickets and crickets
. Bank . fishermen Bank fishermen also find also success find success while while tossing out Cripplures , Kastmasters , Panther Martins and Roostertails . Trollers tossing out Cripplures , Kastmasters , Panther Martins and Roostertails . Trollers employ nightcrawlers behind flashers or dodgers and a variety of minnow imitation
employ nightcrawlers behind flashers or dodgers and a variety of minnow imitation
lures lures Brown .
Trout are taken by shore anglers using nightcrawlers in the winter and early spring • Brown . Boaters Trout are target taken these by shore prized anglers fish by using trolling nightcrawlers Rapalas , Rebels in the , winter Yo-Zuris and and early other plugs spring along . Boaters the target shoreline these of prized the main fish body by trolling and Bear Rapalas River , Rebels arm . , Yo-Zuris and other
• plugs Smallmouth along the Bass shoreline offer fast of the action main during body and spring Bear , summer River arm and . fall . Most of the fish are • Spotted under Bass 13 inches offer , solid but persistent action during anglers spring can , summer find larger and fish fall , for particularly anglers fishing in the drop winter shot rigs and , jigs early , swimsuits spring . Largemouth and other lures Bass . Fish , though in the not 12 to as 15 abundant inch range as are the common feisty . smallmouths Smallmouth and , are largemouth also found bass in Rollins have become . relatively rare In catches in recent years .
• Bluegill and Green Sunfish are the most prolific sunfish in in Rollins , but , but crappie are are also also caught caught by anglers by anglers fishing fishing small small jigs around jigs around brush brush and other and structure other structure . .
Shore fishing for trout , bass and other species can be very good at Rollins Lake when the fish are on the bite .
Photo by DAN BACHER ,
Spotted bass like these two scrappers are the standard fare for bass fishing enthusiasts fishing the waters of Rollins Lake near Colfax .
Photo by DAN BACHER ,
Seventeen teams of two people each , a total of 34 anglers , fished the lake that day . All of the fish weighed in the event were spotted bass with the exception of two largemouths and one smallmouth bass . The results of the event also demonstrate another aspect of the Rollins bass fishery : the lake continues to be known for the quantity of its spotted bass rather than its size . Michael Allen caught the big fish , a 1.88 lb . spotted bass ., while drop shotting with a ¼ oz . dark grape Robo Worm . The two bass that he landed weighed a total of 3.80 pounds . Ryan Petersen and Ryan McGinnis |
won first place in the event with 5 fish weighing 7.07 pounds . Rainbows are the most abundant trout at Rollins . The Department of Fish and Wildlife historically stocked the reservoir with an average of 6,000 pounds of catchable rainbows per year , although the number of fish stocked has been slashed in recent years . A sleeper population of German browns also makes the lake their home . There is no official lake record , but browns up to 7 pounds have been documented and fish in the 2- to 4-pound range are relatively common .
The browns are known for being
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long and slender , with Cal Kellogg ’ s largest ever brown measuring 27 inches long and weighing 5-1 ⁄ 2 pounds .
“ For browns , troll with stickbaits like Rapalas in the Bear River arm 200 to 300 feet behind the boat from now through spring ,” tipped Craig Newton at Willfish Bait and Tackle in Auburn . While rainbows can be taken at the reservoir year-round , the months of April and May when the water has cleared up from winter storms that often muddy the water , are some of the best to target trout here . The lake also features a sleeper population of crappie measuring 12 to
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14 inches long and sometimes bigger . Anglers fishing with small jigs off the points and structure pick up the slabsides year round . Trophy crappie are always a possibility here . Just ask Richard McGuire , who landed an 18 inch crappie at Rollins last year . Another angler also caught a 20 inch crappie at the lake . Channel catfish offer a solid summer and fall fishery for shore anglers and boaters , particularly at night when the whiskered leviathans go into the shallows to feed . For more information about Rollins Lake , call Long Ravine Marina , 346-6166 , or visit www . longravineresorts . com . |