Scotts Flat Lake
Scotts Flat Rd
Nevada City, CA
A high pine-rimmed reservoir in the Sierra foothills above Nevada City, ringed by sandy coves, boat ramps, and lakeside campgrounds tucked into the Tahoe National Forest.
Scotts Flat Lake is the Sierra foothills at their most inviting: a broad, pine-ringed reservoir tucked into the Tahoe National Forest a few miles east of Nevada City, where clear mountain water laps sandy coves and the smell of ponderosa hangs in the warm air. At about 3,100 feet it sits just high enough to feel like the mountains and just low enough to warm up beautifully by summer, which makes it a favorite escape for boaters, anglers, swimmers, and campers.
With some 850 acres of water and seven and a half miles of forested shoreline, it is big enough to spread everyone out. Families claim the sandy beaches, kayakers and anglers work the quiet arms, and campers settle into sites among the trees on the north shore, all within an easy drive of one of the best-preserved Gold Rush towns in California.
What Guests Love
- Clear mountain water ringed by pines, with sandy swimming coves and easy shoreline
- Boating, kayaking, and fishing on a big, uncrowded foothills reservoir
- Two north-shore campgrounds set right among the trees above the water
- A cool, high-country retreat only a short drive from historic Nevada City
Worth Knowing
- The lake is a working irrigation reservoir, so water levels rise and fall through the season and shorelines shift
- It sits at foothill elevation, so summer is warm and prime, while the higher season can bring cold snaps and closures
- A boat marina, launch ramps, and a general store serve the lake, with day-use and camping areas managed by the water district
- It is a full outdoor-day destination rather than a quick roadside stop, so plan on a swim, a paddle, or a night of camping
Details
Nevada City, CA
Learn about Scotts Flat Lake
A reservoir built for the foothills
Scotts Flat is a made lake, created when the earthen Scotts Flat Dam went up on Deer Creek in the late 1940s. Construction began in 1947 under the Nevada Irrigation District, part of the wave of postwar water projects that shored up the supply for the old Gold Country towns of Nevada City and Grass Valley, and the finished reservoir holds tens of thousands of acre-feet behind the dam.
Almost as soon as there was a lake, there was a demand to play on it. Recreation interest grew so fast that by 1948 the water district approved a long-term lease for club facilities on the reservoir's north bay, and in the decades since the lake has grown into one of the region's top outdoor destinations, its practical job of storing irrigation water quietly shared with generations of summer boaters and campers.
On the water and along the shore
The lake's size and setting make it a genuinely versatile playground. Two launch ramps and a marina put boats, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards on the water, and the seven-and-a-half-mile shoreline is broken by quiet coves and inlets that reward exploring by paddle. Anglers fish it year round for trout and warmwater species, working the points and the shady arms.
Along the edges, sandy beaches and shallow coves make for easy swimming and wading, and picnic areas and a general store round out an easy day at the lake. The tree-lined shore keeps the whole place feeling wild and green rather than developed, so even a busy summer afternoon has the hush of pine forest behind the sound of the water.
Camping in the pines
Two campgrounds on the north shore, with something on the order of 180 sites between them, tuck campers into the ponderosa and cedar right above the water, and they are the reason many people make Scotts Flat an overnight rather than a day trip. Waking up to still water and pine shade, then stepping straight into a swim or a paddle, is the whole appeal.
Because it sits at foothill elevation, the lake has a long, comfortable warm season, and the surrounding Tahoe National Forest opens up miles of forest roads and trails for hiking, biking, and simply wandering. It is the kind of place families return to summer after summer, a cool green base camp in the Sierra foothills.
Visiting Scotts Flat Lake
Scotts Flat Lake lies about six and a half miles east of Nevada City, reached by Scotts Flat Road off the highway that climbs toward the high Sierra. The lake and its facilities, the ramps, marina, day-use areas, and campgrounds, are managed by the Nevada Irrigation District, so check current conditions and any seasonal closures before you go.
Come prepared for a full day or a camping night rather than a quick look, and pack your own water toys, since the lake rewards a boat, a kayak, or at least a swim. Because it is a working reservoir, the water level rises and falls through the year, so the shoreline you find in early summer may be different by fall. Pair a lake day with a stroll through nearby Nevada City, whose Gold Rush storefronts are among the best preserved in California, for a mix of mountain water and mountain history.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Nevada City
Nevada City
About 7 miles
One of California's best-preserved Gold Rush towns, with Victorian storefronts, galleries, and cafes along the historic Broad Street.
Empire Mine State Historic Park
About 12 miles
One of the oldest, deepest, and richest gold mines in California, with the owner's estate, gardens, and miles of trails.
South Yuba River State Park
About 14 miles
Emerald swimming holes and rapids along the wild Yuba River, spanned by a historic covered bridge.
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
About 25 miles
A vivid hydraulic-mining scar of colorful cliffs plus the preserved ghost town of North Bloomfield.