Fuller Lake is a roughly 70-acre mountain lake at 5,400 feet in the Sierra Nevada, about 24 miles from Nevada City. PG&E runs it as a day-use site for paddling, trout fishing, and hiking.
Helpful Links:
- CA State Parks Website
- PG&E Website
- USDA Forest Service Website
- CA State Harmful Water Reports
- Paddle Boarding Accessories
- Sunscreen
- Coolers
How to Get There
Fuller Lake is in Nevada County. From Nevada City, take Highway 20 east for about 20 miles, then turn left on Bowman Lake Road (Forest Road 18) and drive about four miles north. The Forest Service describes Bowman Lake Road as winding and narrow with tight corners, but paved, so budget closer to an hour than the mileage suggests. GPS coordinates are approximately 39.35307, -120.66039.
Fuller Lake Dam Trailhead and Lake Access: 13466 Forest Rte 18, Nevada City, CA 95959
Fuller Lake Boat Ramp and Parking: 13776 Bowman Lake Rd, Nevada City, CA 95959
Parking and Hours
Parking is available for day use only, sunrise to sunset. The Forest Service lists the season as May 16 until the first snowfall, but PG&E sets the actual dates each year: in 2026, dam work restricted public access from March 28 to May 15, and the recreation season opened May 22. Check PG&E Recreation before driving up. Day use costs $7 per vehicle.
The lot is small, so arrive early on summer weekends. PG&E warns that larger trailers are not recommended and may be turned away when the parking lot is full.
A vault toilet is available at the picnic area. Bring your own drinking water and snacks. For road, gate, and fire status, call the Tahoe National Forest at (530) 265-4531.
Paddle Boarding
The typically flat water makes the lake ideal for paddle boarding, kayaking, and canoeing.
Launch from the boat ramp, and bring your own board. An inflatable paddle board is the most practical option because the winding, narrow access road is poorly suited to carrying a rigid board on a roof rack. A waterproof pouch keeps your phone dry for photos of the granite shoreline.
Before You Get in the Water
Once you are outside a designated swimming area, federal rules treat a paddleboard or kayak as a boat, which means a Coast Guard approved life jacket aboard for each person. California requires anyone under 13 to wear one while the vessel is underway. A leash keeps your board within reach after a fall, though no law requires one.
A fall into cold mountain water triggers a gasp reflex before you have time to swim. Wear the life jacket instead of strapping it to the nose of the board.
PG&E’s rules ask anyone who has visited infested waters to check their boat and equipment, so clean, drain, and dry your board between lakes. Report a suspected mussel to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at (866) 440-9530.
Boating Rules
PG&E limits speed on the lake to 10 mph, and to 5 mph within 200 feet of the shoreline.
The Forest Service lists the site under non-motorized boating, and the speed limits are the only motor rule either agency publishes, so confirm with PG&E before hauling a motor.
Boat launch fees are $10.
Fishing and Wildlife
Fuller Lake is stocked annually with rainbow trout, and PG&E describes it as known for rainbow and brown trout. Fish from the shore, by boat, or from a float tube.
- Rainbow Trout: Planted as catchable fish by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The CDFW planting schedule lists Fuller Lake plants in July and August 2026, with another scheduled for late September.
- Brown Trout: A non-native species that PG&E reports in the lake. CDFW’s plants here are rainbow trout only.
Mottled sculpins and crayfish also live in the lake and are prey for the trout.
The productive fishing locations are the inlet and outlet areas and spots near structures like rocks and logs.
One angler I met said the rock where I was picnicking had been a favorite fishing spot over his 30 years of visiting the lake.
Osprey, waterfowl, deer, and other forest mammals live in the surrounding woods, so bring binoculars.
Lake Conditions
Fuller Lake’s water stays cool through the season because of its elevation and its supply of mountain water through the Nevada Irrigation District’s Bowman-Spaulding Conduit. Test it at the ramp and dress for immersion.
Wind Conditions and Waves
Winds are typically calmest in the early mornings and can increase in the afternoon, especially during summer. The lake is small enough to keep waves to a minimum.
Sierra Nevada summer thunderstorms can bring sudden strong gusts, so get off the water when clouds build.
Paddling Distances
The lake spans roughly a half mile across its widest points, with short distances between the beaches and the boat launch. Paddling from the northwest boat ramp to the southeast shore is approximately 0.45 miles one way.
A full lap of the shoreline makes a leisurely 1-2 hour trip, which fits a half-day visit.
Hiking Trails
Trail Around Fuller Lake
A walking path roughly circles Fuller Lake. The terrain is relatively flat, with views of the water and the surrounding forest, resting spots along the shoreline, and a chance of spotting wildlife.
Rucker and Fuller Lakes Via Spaulding Lake Trail
The Spaulding Lake Trail is approximately 4 miles out and back with an elevation gain of about 400 feet, a moderately easy hike of a few hours. It winds through shaded mixed forest, including pine and cedar, with occasional open views of the surrounding Sierra Nevada.
Starting Point: Near Fuller Lake Dam.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7XAom5eP8cqZnGKN7
Take the trail north as it curves slightly west around Rucker Lake.
The trail can be combined with longer loops up to 10.1 miles for a full-day outing including Spaulding Lake and back. PG&E has closed its Lake Spaulding campground, day-use area, and boat launch for the entire 2026 season for dam work, so plan on no facilities at that end.
The terrain varies from flat lakeshore paths to moderate forested climbs, with wildflowers in spring and deer and birds along the way.
For longer hikes, the Grouse Ridge Trail is accessible nearby, along with the Yuba lake chain and adjacent Rucker Lake, which has its own campground.
Camping
Camping is not permitted at Fuller Lake itself. The campgrounds nearby include Rucker Lake and Carr Lake.
Carr Lake Campground, run by PG&E, is hike-in, and the last 3 miles of the drive are Forest Road 17, an unimproved dirt road the Forest Service does not recommend for low vehicles. Its 11 sites cost $15 a night from May 27 to October 15. The campground has vault toilets, and drinking water means purifying lake water.
Fire restrictions: Tahoe National Forest Stage 2 fire restrictions run through October 31, 2026. Campfires and stove fires are allowed only in the fire rings or charcoal grills provided at campgrounds listed in the order, which include Carr/Feeley Lake and Rucker Lake. Check the current order before you light anything.
Lake History
Fuller Lake in Nevada County, California, was created as part of a hydroelectric water storage system, fed from Bowman Lake. California’s Division of Safety of Dams lists the dam as built in 1870, 36 feet high, and holding 1,060 acre-feet. The State Water Board’s description of PG&E’s hydroelectric project gives 39 feet and 1,109 acre-feet.
Its creation is linked to the 19th century water management developments in the Yuba watershed for mining and later hydroelectric power generation.
Fuller Lake is currently managed for hydroelectric use by PG&E, receiving water from the Nevada Irrigation District’s Bowman-Spaulding Conduit and releasing it to the Spaulding No. 3 Powerhouse.
PG&E owns the dam and operates the day-use area and boat ramp, which sit in the Tahoe National Forest. The Forest Service handles road, fire, and closure questions.
More California Lakes To Explore
Greater Sacramento
Sierra Nevadas
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Article Updates
October 10, 2026: Rewrote the introduction and tightened the paddling, trail, and camping sections. Edited for clarity.
September 15, 2026: Corrected this guide against Forest Service, PG&E, CDFW, and Division of Safety of Dams sources. The dam dates to 1870, not 1856, and the lake is fed by a conduit from Bowman Lake rather than springs. No cutthroat trout live here, brown trout are not native, and the brook trout claim had no source. PG&E’s rule is a 10 mph speed limit with 5 mph near shore; the electric-motors-only rule had no source. The drive from Nevada City is roughly 24 winding miles, not 30 minutes. Carr Lake Campground has no potable water. Removed an unsourced water temperature table, wind statistics, and two conflicting 2-mile perimeter figures. Added life jacket rules, cold water and invasive mussel guidance, the 2026 season opening and Lake Spaulding closure, current Stage 2 fire restrictions, and a Forest Service contact number.
August 4, 2026: Added the affiliate disclosure this page should have carried.
