New Melones Lake Fishing
Tuolumne County and Calaveras County, CDFW Central Region, 12,122 acres.
- 6launches
- 12,122acres
- 1,091 ftelevation
Photo: snty-tact (Talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
New Melones Lake from an angler’s seat
The lake called New Melones Lake lies in Tuolumne County and Calaveras County and falls in the CDFW Central Region. At 12,122 acres, that is the size CDFW publishes. Its elevation is roughly 1,091 feet. About 3 miles separate it from Angels, the nearest town. Storage capacity behind New Melones Dam (Stanislaus River) is 2,400,000 acre-feet.
CDFW notes black bass, catfish, sunfish and crappie, hatchery trout and kokanee and inland salmon here. Launch records list 6 mapped launches for the lake, 3 of them named. CDFW logged 1 planting weeks here, the first 2025-11-16 and the last 2025-11-16. You will find fuel, per the Fishing Guide.
What the Fishing Guide says about New Melones Lake
“Located in rolling foothills with grassland, brush, oaks, some pines.”
“Featuring many coves and inlets, and a steep shoreline.”
“This lake has a fluctuating water level, and visitors should watch for rocks upstream in the main channel of NF Stanislaus River.”
“Marina, bait & tackle, store, and rental houseboats.”
Quoted from the CDFW Fishing Guide entry for New Melones Lake (source). Checked October 2026.
Where boats go in on New Melones Lake
- New Melones Lake (Angels Creek Ramp)boat launch
- New Melones Lake (Glory Hole Ramp)14 lanes, 706 trailer spaces, restrooms
- New Melones Lake (Tuttletown Ramp)boat launch
- Boat launch, New Melones Lakeboat launch
- Boat launch, New Melones Lakeboat launch
- Boat launch, New Melones Lakeboat launch
Where to put in near New Melones Lake
- Lake Tulloch ResortLake Tulloch, 9 miles south
- Lake Tulloch RV Campground and MarinaLake Tulloch, 10 miles south
- Salt Spring Valley ReservoirSalt Spring Reservoir, 11 miles west
DBW Boating Facilities, USFS recreation sites and OpenStreetMap slipways, checked October 2026.
Storage and elevation at New Melones Lake
CDEC station NML (US Bureau of Reclamation), reading dated 2026-10-09. Station page with the live chart.
New Melones Lake species list
CDFW Fishing Guide species flags; CDFW publishes no fuller species list for most waters.
New Melones Lake planting record
| Species | Size | Program | Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kokanee Salmon | Fingerling | Put and Grow | April-June |
| Brown Trout | Sub-catchable | Put and Grow | January-April & October-December |
| Rainbow Trout | Catchable | Put and Take | January-April & October-December |
CDFW Fish Planting Schedule and the 2026 Provisional Stocking Document. California trout stocking.
What you may keep at New Melones Lake
New Melones Lake follows the default lake rules shown here.
| Species | Daily bag | Size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black bass | 5 a day | 12 in minimum | All year |
| Trout | 5 a day | none | All year |
| Striped bass | 2 a day | 18 in minimum | All year except closures in special regulations |
| Sunfish and crappie | 25 a day | none | All year, except closures under district or special regulations |
| Catfish | no limit | none | All year, except closures under special regulations |
| Kokanee and inland salmon | 5 a day | none | All year |
CDFW places New Melones Lake in the Valley District.
CDFW 2026 Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations, checked October 2026. All California limits.
Neighbor lakes compared with New Melones Lake
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation (ft) | Launches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Melones Lake | 12,122 | 1,091 | 6 | |
| Libby Water | 7 miles northeast | 0.6 | 2,000 | 0 |
| Tulloch Lake | 9 miles south | 1,260 | 515 | 4 |
| Salt Spring Valley Reservoir | 10 miles west | 1 | ||
| New Hogan Reservoir | 16 miles northwest | 3,197 | 681 | 7 |
| Don Pedro Reservoir | 20 miles southeast | 12,960 | 830 | 4 |
The ground around New Melones Lake
More still water near New Melones Lake
- Libby Water7 miles northeast
- Tulloch Lake9 miles south
- Salt Spring Valley Reservoir10 miles west
- New Hogan Reservoir16 miles northwest
- Don Pedro Reservoir20 miles southeast
Where to stock up near New Melones Lake
- New Melones Lake Marinamarina, Angels Camp, 2 miles
- Kennedy Meadows Resortmarina, Sonora, 9 miles
- The Sportsmansporting goods store, Sonora, 10 miles
- Big 5 Sporting Goods #208sporting goods store, Sonora, 11 miles
- J Ryall Fly Reelfly shop, Sonora, 16 miles
- Galvan Fly Reelsfly shop, Sonora, 16 miles
License counters by New Melones Lake
- Glory Hole Stationlicense agent, 2 miles
- Altaville Food & Liquor Mktlicense agent, 3 miles
- Full Service Notary & Personal Business Solutionslicense agent, 6 miles
Towns ringing New Melones Lake
- Angels3 miles
- Copperopolis6 miles
- Murphys10 miles
Counties holding New Melones Lake
- Tuolumne Countyseat: Sonora
- Calaveras Countyseat: San Andreas
Things to know before New Melones Lake
Where does New Melones Lake lie in California?
In Tuolumne County and Calaveras County, about 3 miles from Angels.
How large is New Melones Lake on the CDFW entry?
The published figure is 12,122 acres.
Is New Melones Lake open to trailered boats?
6 launches are mapped, starting with New Melones Lake (Glory Hole Ramp).
What can I catch at New Melones Lake?
Expect black bass, catfish, sunfish and crappie, hatchery trout and kokanee and inland salmon.
Are fish planted in New Melones Lake?
On 1 weeks so far; the latest was 2025-11-16.
Do statewide limits apply at New Melones Lake?
The default lake limits cover it.
Is New Melones Lake open to anglers with no California license?
A California sport fishing license from age 16; resident annual is $64.54.
What is the water level at New Melones Lake?
Check the CDEC reading on this page.
Is bait sold near New Melones Lake?
New Melones Lake Marina is closest, about 2 miles away.
Head up to New Melones Lake
The license page lists every California limit.