Shasta Lake should turn soon!

Dr. Rick holds a nice rainbow he caught while flat lining a Bay Rat Lure behind the boat.
Photo Credit: Capt. Jeff Goodwin

by Jeff Goodwin
10-23-2018
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Today we fished Shasta Lake and found a less than stellar bite, but we did find some nice rainbows. Full moon, low pressure, and changing water temps makes for a tough bite.  Another factor is the abundance of shad in the lake right now.  The trout have as much shad as they can possibly stuff in their bellies available now.  With water temps in the 65-66 degree range, the shad balls are on or near the surface and so are the trout.  When the lake glasses over, you can see trout boils all over the surface.  Today the McCloud arm in front of Holiday Harbor was loaded with shad and big trout boils.  Best bet now is to fish where the bait are found and "match the hatch" with small spoons like the Wee Dick Nite spoons that are about the same size as the shad we are seeing now.  The nights are cooling and the cloud cover will help cool the surface temps.  Once the surface temp drops below or near the low 60's, the lake will turn over and we'll have cold water available throughout the whole Shasta lake system.  Fishing will improve and we'll be in our typical fall/winter pattern. 

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.