Donner Lake

Donner Lake is a deep alpine lake just west of downtown Truckee, about 2.7 miles long, 0.6 miles wide and 238 feet deep at its deepest point. The public boat launch sits at its west end at 15511 Donner Pass Road, near South Shore Drive. The Truckee Donner Recreation & Park District runs it on a lease from the California State Lands Commission.

Before you launch: the Donner Lake sticker

Under Town of Truckee ordinance, a self-inspection is mandatory for every motorized or trailered watercraft launching on Donner Lake. Before your first launch of the season, inspect the boat where it's kept and take the completed form to the Truckee Police Department lobby to get the sticker. For 2026 that's the Donner Lake 2026 sticker. Non-motorized craft are inspected only if the Town decides it's necessary.

The ramp

The ramp is a two-lane concrete launch with boarding floats, a small car-and-trailer lot, restrooms and a fish cleaning station. Launch and parking fees are paid to ramp staff, and the ramp is staffed seven days a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Conditions

Water levels drop for much of the year. The District's planning report says low water usually lasts about seven months and leaves the ramp unusable for larger boats in most winter months. The District has an improvement project in planning to extend the ramp, replace the boarding floats and add a fee kiosk.