Lake Almanor

Lake Almanor sits about 30 miles southeast of Quincy at around 4,500 feet elevation, and at 28 miles long it is one of the largest lakes in California. The mountain setting — Lassen Peak visible to the north, pine forests to the south — is impressive. Fishing for rainbow and brown trout is good; the lake is one of the better ones in the northern Sierra for large fish.

Swimming is possible in summer, though the water is cold even in August. Camping is available at several sites around the lake. The small town of Chester on the north shore has restaurants and services. The Feather River Canyon, reached by Highway 70 east of Quincy, is a spectacular drive — the railroad through it (now freight only) is an engineering marvel.

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A story
Lake Almanor is a reservoir created in 1914 when Pacific Gas and Electric dammed the North Fork of the Feather River. The town of Prattville — once a sizeable community — was flooded and now sits on the lake bottom. On very low-water years its foundations are briefly visible. The surrounding area was Maidu territory for centuries; the name Almanor comes from the first two letters of three daughters of a PG&E executive: ALice, MArtha, and EliNOR.

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