Shasta Lake fishing report

Shasta Lake trout are looking great this year!
Photo Credit: jeff Goodwin Guide Services

by Jeff Goodwin
3-31-2023
Website

Shasta Lake is still on the rise and the water is cold!  Most days morning temps on the surface is around 45-46 degrees.  I like to see temps in the 48-50 degree mark for a starting point when chasing rainbows and browns on Shasta.  We're catching some great fish but the bite should improve each week looking forward.  Lake levels are on the rise and we're less than 30' from full and its forecasted to be at full pool by late May.  Filling the lake always creates some debris issues but theres always some clean water to fish.  I've been fishing the main body between the dam and the Pit River Bridge (I-5).  I'm concentrating on the top 20' of the water column where the trout are gorging on Shad.  Trolling spoons has been productive but rolling Shad has been productive too.  We're in for a long season with some great fishing ahead.  I'll usually a trout show until June when we'll start seeing some pretty good King salmon action as well.  We should start to see some Kokanee salmon being caught around that time as well.  We'll be taking a short break from the lakes to fish for Striped bass but we'll be back in May ready to fish a long season that will extend well into late fall/winter.  See you on the water!

Captain Jeff Goodwin

Jeff Goodwin is a full time Northern California fishing guide.  He guides year round for salmon, trout, steelhead, Kokanee, and bass on Northern California rivers and lakes. He fishes many bodies of water in the Redding area, but also guides the Sacramento River and Feather River during certain times of the year. Jeff can also be found on the California coast chasing ocean fresh King salmon and steelhead each year. To learn more about the fishing trips Jeff has to offer, please visit Jeff Goodwin's Guide Service.  You can also find him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or please feel free to call him anytime at (707) 616-1905.