Shasta/Weed area, help!

First off you all have a cool website going here! I discovered it trying to do research on the area around Weed Ca.I'm from Ventura and am an avid yak fisher.Used to fish Lake Casitas a lot when the Pacific would not get in sync with my days off..that was until the dreaded Quaga mussel quarantine started.Usually i go to eastern sierra in the fall and i know it pretty well but this year I'm taking my girfriend and the yak up to Weed/Shastina area for her to visit Sis and me to fish.So any input for trout or kokanee would be appreciated.It looks like from what i can gather McCloud Res. would be a good choice close..also Siskou lake? Will be there first week of oct. Would like to try for kokanee just cause i never caught one...is Shasta and Whiskeytown the only lakes to fish them nearby? How deep is normal that time of year?I have 2 small penn level winds that hold about 8 colors.would  that be sufficient to reach them or do you need down riggers?Any info on fishing the area would be very helpful!I may try a bit of stream fishing but since I'm cartopping my yak all the way up there I'd like to spend most of my time trolling/exploring the lakes.Thanks!

If it was me, I would fish McCloud Res. rather than Lake Siskiyou. Lake Siskiyou is a tourist trap. Nothing to write home about.

I would camp at Fowlers Camp at Lower Falls of the McCloud, unless forced to stay at GF's sister house. Sept/Oct. is the best time of the year up there. The tourista's have all gone home, and the fishing just keeps getting better. If you are going to troll, paddle to the inlet and work the area up there. You won't have to fish as deep. The lake may be turning over about then, and the fish may be on top, so DON'T only bring Penn's with leadcore. You'll be sorry.


BUT, and I mean BIG BUT, you should stream fish instead. The Lower McCloud below McCloud Res. dam is trout fishing "holy water", one of the most scenic and remote places in Kalifornia, and it would be a sin to not fish there if you are that close.  If you REALLY want to score "brownie points" with GF, Go fish around Ah-Di-Na campground. Hike down the Pacific Crest Trail a little ways. Bring your flyrod. And a backpack picnic lunch. With a couple beers or a bottle of good wine, cheese/crackers... you will score MANY G.A.F points. You might even get lucky that night. http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?page=13

PS> killer milkshakes in Dunsmuir at the Burger joint (can't remember name)
PSS> Finlandia Motel in Mt. Shasta city is where I stay, I get one of the rooms at back .

PS> killer milkshakes in Dunsmuir at the Burger joint (can't remember name)

Micki's > Burger Barn

+1 on Ah-di-nah campground on the McCloud and Nature Conservancy property just down the dirt road. Nature Conservancy is awesome for just hiking around, if you fly fish you need to make reservation or roll the dice and walk up. It's free but they only allow 10 fishing on that section of river at at time, scenery is epic.  Watch out for snakes.

If you want to stay on lakes, there's Lake Britton on the Pit, Lewiston on the Trinity, Irongate/Copco on the Klamath (epic yellow perch), Baum Lake and a bunch of others.

I'll be passing through tomorrow, if I get up there early enough probably stop and fish the evening hatch on upper sac, probably caldera right below Lake Siskiyou. If alot of peeps out then I'll just blow it off.  Then off to fish some secret spots, ending with the upper rogue to throw my spey at some steelies...may sneak the kayak over to Brookings for some rockfish though...Good Luck!

Thanks for the input!! Micki's milkshakes it is! I like the reference to the fishing song,that attitude may have something to do with why its GAF pts. and not WAF pts. anymore....will definetely check out the ah-di-nah place.And will be equipped to surface troll and bait fish.Don't have any fly fishing stuff...still curious about Kokanee fishing any advice appreciated!Thank you!!

PS> killer milkshakes in Dunsmuir at the Burger joint (can't remember name)

Micki's > Burger Barn

+5!!! Get two, you'll work those calories off!

Glad you remembered the name for me Golfish-- I was having a senior moment.

PS- Alpine Burger in Burney makes pretty stellar milkshakes too!

For info. in the area check out these websites.

shastacascade.com
shastatackle.com

As far as Kokanee fishing goes head for Wiskeytown Lake. (No Kokes in Shasta Lake ) but nice kings. I've caught 3 over 3+ pounds this year. Check out Phil's propellers &/or Strictly Fishin' for tackle.

Tight Lines, Tim

getting packed to leave this weekend be there for 5 days...just thought I'd bring this back to top of the list to see if any body has some current info...I'll be in Shastina but hear thats bass/catfish only.Hard to find any current info on the net but I'm thinking I'll target Mccloud lake, unless i get better info when I get there.Any suggestions/info appreciated.

Days have been hot but the nights are cooling down.
The lakes up here have not turned over yet so trout/salmon are still deep if your going to troll.
Try spinners (meps, roostertails,etc), spoons (kastmasters,cripplures), or crawlers behind a chrome dodger like a sling blade.
If all else fails power bait 3 ft off the bottom gets me trout
Hope you have a great time up here, let us know how you did
Later,
Tad
 

thanks banjotad! I got all kinds of trout trinkets and am armed with leadcore to a 2lb mini system.I should have computer access while I'm there.If anyone will be yaking in the area next week make a post, maybe i can hook up.....not sure how far Whiskeytown is to drive from Shastina but if i can get a solid lead on how/where to fish the Kokanee I may give that a shot as I have never caught one.River fishing sounds fun in a kayak but no expierience in the area...will hit up some local tackle shops for some info when i arrive.Success or not looking forward to just pick'n and fish'n and beer'n for a few days,no work!

Caught a 14" koke last week @ Whiskeytown between Oak Bottom & power house.
Their moving towards creeks to spawn. ( Too dark to eat ) ...but fun to catch.
Was trolling a UV sling blade + Cripplure about 10' deep in 20' of water.
BANGOTAD and I will be heading out somewhere early nex't week.
Check back in or PM us to hook up, Good luck,

Tight Lines,
Tim

Thanks! I'll keep an eye on the website and take you up on that if possible.I was wondering how they are as table fare are they more similar to trout or king samon in taste?do they get mushy during spawn when the color darkens? Thanks for the info!

They are in the salmon family and I understand they are excellent table fare. 
I've been told that they are not good to eat if they are turning dark.
I am generally a catch and release fisherman anyway, but not always.

For more info go to http://www.kokaneepower.org

Getting packed to head home early tomorrow.Thanks all for your input! As it turned out only got 2 days to yak but it was great!Thanks fish educator for the offer of possible meet at Whiskeytown but it was just a bit to far from Shastina.Fished tuesday morning on Mccloud lake water was way low kind of seemed like fishing in a quarry,water a good 50 yards or more below the tree line,banks very steep in most places.fish were jumping everywhere.I've done my share of trout fishing in my 50 plus years, have never seen fish launching themselves like this! I've many times seen lakes covered with trout hitting the surface,but these fish were getting air born!the smaller fish were clearing the surface by a foot and a half and I saw several big fish close to 20" come clear of the water, very cool to see!! I had my first fish 50 yards from launchig from the boat ramp. it was the biggest at 16" caught 10 in about 2 hrs. of fishing,nothing bigger than the first but only one fish had the planter look (malformed noggin and rounded chewed up tail) the rest were beauties if not natives they must of been holdovers.Very good day indeed! never saw another person until I came in.Three pb's going out, talked to one local and he said it had been slow this week...kept 3 for dinner that had been deep hooked rest released.gotta lotta of fish on upper Mccloud by the lower/midle falls all released.hiked at the nature preserve/ah-di-nah campground beautiful!!Thanks for the tip!Also walked around Castle lake up above Sisikou lake very nice. today fished Sisikou lake not a soul on the lake glassy and beautiful but slow, caught one big trout at 17" saw bunches of Canadian geese fly over the yak close enough to see there eyes,that was worth the slower fishing!
 one more story about the great milkshakes...found the burger barn when I went through Dunsmuir had to stop and get a shake was a bit disappointed when it turned out to be a cup of soft serve fake ice cream the burger was decent and I was hungry anyways.I asked the lady if she was Micki ( i had seen no mention of Micki on the burger barn sign) and she looked at me kinda funny..she than said you must mean Micki of Micki and Don's Better Burger at the north end of town...I did see it as I was leaving kind of a run down small place on the outskirts and it was closed..Oh well i was full anyways! Thanks again all!

Glad you enjoyed yourself in Nor-Cal

I've done my share of trout fishing in my 50 plus years, have never seen fish launching themselves like this! I've many times seen lakes covered with trout hitting the surface,but these fish were getting air born!the smaller fish were clearing the surface by a foot and a half and I saw several big fish close to 20" come clear of the water, very cool to see!!

I love it when that happens, cool indeed

2 questions, how deep? and what did they hit?
oh, any pictures?

Nice report thanks for sharing
Tad
 

I'll try to get pics posted when I get home.On Mccloud I fished a small gold kastmaster on the surface and that was the hot ticket 7 of 10 also had leadcore out a color and a half caught one on a raplala fire tiger  (green/yellow/orange) 2 on a small rapala broke back trout pattern,was hoping that might interest a brown trout but all I got were rainbows, interesting how different the color patterns on the trout were,several had very deep red bands and cheeks one small one had very few specks on the back but were unusually large in size all except one looked very healthy! The big one I caught at lake Sisikou was very healthy/pretty looking, I got him at
3 1/2 colors on the broke back rapala near the end of my session. I started going deeper and thats when I caught him...possible I would have done better if I started deeper at Siskiou.did not bring the fish finder but saw another troller that said they were holding about 20 feet,much deeper than McCloud, I guess cause its colder in McCloud?