Reel Adventures

The Best Fishing in the North State…

There’s no need to stretch the truth or spin extra tall tales when it comes to fishing in the North State. Within an hour’s drive is a chance to hook into bass, trout, catfish, salmon and others – enough fish and fishing holes to make everybody a happy (and honest) angler.

Fishing is a year-round activity in these parts but the action picks up in the spring as the weather warms and the fish welcome the winter’s abundant rainfall. Darrick Muir, a fisheries biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, has the scoop on where they’re biting.

Parents with young kids looking to make fishing a family affair should consider a trip to Lake Britton in eastern Shasta County, Muir says. The Jamo Point boat launch and day-use area and the Lake Britton Picnic Area are great spots to spend the day, and they’re both accessible for users with disabilities. “Kids and adults can target the abundant crappie and bluegill fisheries,” Muir says. “Spring can be a wonderful time to visit this lake as these wily sunfish prepare to spawn. Bring your favorite fish taco recipe.”

As a bonus, anglers of all ages can check out the Lake Britton Bridge, made famous in the 1986 film “Stand by Me,” or marvel at Burney Falls in the adjacent McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park.

Carrville Pond is another family-friendly fishing hole that can be found in northern Trinity County. In addition to its gorgeous setting near the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area, Carrville Pond receives regular trout plants and even a few trophy steelhead added in for good measure. The Trinity Lake Lions Club will host its annual kids fishing derby at the pond on Saturday, May 17.

Lewiston Lake, which is always full of cold, clear water from Trinity Lake to its north, also receives regular trout plants – Muir says trout weighing in at three pounds or more have been reported – and the Pine Cove launch area offers restrooms, picnic tables and a wheelchair-accessible fishing dock.

Kokanee, which are landlocked sockeye salmon, are a top target on Whiskeytown Lake with the tasty fish averaging more than 15 inches in length. (Unlike the more well-known sockeye salmon, kokanee do not migrate to the ocean where food is more abundant.) Trolling is the typical fishing method, but Muir says some anglers target kokanee from kayaks or stationary boats using jigs.

In recent years, the Kokanee salmon fishery in Whiskeytown has been exceptional. In 2024, the average Kokanee measured was 15.4 inches, just shy of the 16 inches required to designate it as a trophy fishery. Fish as large as 22 inches have been reported. This is primarily a trolling fishery, but some people target them from kayaks or boats fishing with jigs.

Kokanee can also be found in Trinity Lake, but that alpine lake is more famous for its trophy smallmouth and largemouth bass fisheries. The north end of Trinity Lake offers good shoreline access, while the rest of the lake requires a boat.

Shasta Lake is probably ground zero for North State fishing, at least in terms of size (365 miles of shoreline!) and species: three kinds of bass, five types of trout, two kinds of catfish, Chinook salmon, crappie, bluegill, perch and even the occasional ancient sturgeon left over from completion of Shasta Dam in 1945.

Anglers looking for something a little quieter will enjoy Baum Lake near Burney, which Muir describes as a wonderful trout-fishing destination where bait, artificial lures and flies can all produce trophy-sized brown and rainbow trout. Located adjacent to the Crystal Lake Hatchery, Baum Lake receives regular trout plants throughout the year.

Fly fishers are very familiar with Hat Creek and the McCloud River, both destination trout fisheries with international reputations. Bait fishing is allowed on Hat Creek above Baum Lake, making it another good spot for kids with plenty of nearby camping available.

And don’t think you need the latest and greatest in fishing technology to have fun. As Steve Vaughn, who operated a sporting goods store in Burney for 27 years, was fond of saying, “If you got a cane pole with a line and a hook on it, you can catch a fish.” •

2025 fishing regulations:
www.nrm.dfg.ca.gov/
Shasta-Cascade Wonderland Association:
www.upstateca.com/fishing-and-hunting
Visit Redding:
www.visitredding.com/get-outside/fishing/