Things to Do

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Lake Almanor provides excellent year round fishing and is known for its trophy-size fish. The lake contains rainbow and brown trout, landlocked Chinook salmon, large-mouth bass, small-mouth bass, green sunfish, Sacramento perch, channel catfish and brown bullhead catfish. 

Lake Almanor sits at 4500 foot elevation level, and offers more than 52 miles of shoreline. The average summer daytime temperature is 87 degrees.  The water surface temperature is an average of 75 degrees and the water offers crystal clear visibility. It has excellent water conditions for all kinds of water sports. Water-skiing, boating and windsurfing are the most popular sports. Boats and equipment may be rented from nearby marinas. 

Bicycling is a favorite sport for visitors to the Lake Almanor area. The surrounding forest land provides many miles of mountain bike trails. West of Highway 89, a Forest Service road leading to Humbolt Summit and Humbug Valley is a popular ride. For visitors who just want to sight see while biking, the surrounding area has miles of paved country roads with spectacular views that appeal to road bicyclists of all ages.  

Viewing wildlife in their natural habitat is one of Lake Almanor’s best and free attractions. Nearly 300 different bird species live in the surrounding National Forest. Among the most popular, and easy, species to observe are deer, bald eagles and waterfowl.

The best birding in the country is during the spring and fall, but interesting species can be found in any season. Spring visitors can spot White-faced Ibis, Sandhill Cranes, American Bitterns, Black-crowned Night-herons, geese and a variety of wild ducks. Sierra Valley, east of Portola, is one of the best known birding locations in the area. In the summer and fall, sights of Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Prairie Falcons, Kestrels and Long-eared Owls are very common.