Upper Sac location

[Scott V]

On my way to Winchester Bay Oregon on Saturday I am stopping over night in Mount Shasta and should have a couple hours to fish. I am camping at the Mount Shasta exit at KOA. Will I be able to walk to any fishable areas or will I need to get a ride to head down river. I will be in my rv so driving from the campground to a fish area is not an option, I am pulling a big trailer so it is hard to find a spot big enough to park. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[jhaquett]

As I'm sure you are already aware of, your KOA campground is North of the highway 89 exit, which is basically parallel to Lake Siskiyou. The "official" source of the Sacramento River is just West of Lake Siskiyou when the middle and south forks of the river combine. They, along with some others, formed and currently dump into Lake Siskiyou. The Upper Sac as we know it flows out from Lake Siskiyou and heads South. So there is no fishing the Upper Sac until you get below Lake Siskiyou, and even then, I don't believe it is legal for a few hundred feet after Lake Siskiyou. So if you want to fish the Upper Sac (which I highly suggest that you do) you will have to find a ride.
There are two areas that are best, IMO, to fish on the Upper Sac and lucky for you they are both very far North as far as the river is conerned. The best of the Sacramento River can be found where there are no roads, in fact there is only one access point for an entire 6 miles of the river! This section is "trophy" water and is catch and release, barbless and artificial, and is open year round to catch sometimes 10+ lb WILD trout. Incredible...
Unfortunately I can't for the life of me think of the road that you need to take to access this point! If you are interested in this call DFG and try to get ahold of the local officer for this area and he can tell you.
The Cantara Loop is another awesome place to fish and I can tell you the directions there. It is quite private, it is beautiful and there are lots of fish, but the size isn't there as much as more North of the river in the super-private trophy waters. Take Old State Road from Mt Shasta to Cantara Street, go right down a gravel road that continues for a little while until you reach the Cantara Loop. Grab your rod and enjoy!
8) 8)

[johnson wozniak]

There are two areas that are best, IMO, to fish on the Upper Sac and lucky for you they are both very far North as far as the river is conerned. The best of the Sacramento River can be found where there are no roads, in fact there is only one access point for an entire 6 miles of the river! This section is "trophy" water and is catch and release, barbless and artificial, and is open year round to catch sometimes 10+ lb WILD trout. Incredible...
Unfortunately I can't for the life of me think of the road that you need to take to access this point! If you are interested in this call DFG and try to get ahold of the local officer for this area and he can tell you.


I believe you are thinking of box canyon? Instead of going to the trouble of calling the dfg?, maybe someone with a upper sac streamline map can help him out? Looking at mapquest?, it most be mott road?? I bet billy kiene would know?? How about it billy??

[jhaquett]

I have this great little map that the warden gave to me after we chatted for awhile about the local fishing. I believe its in a car that I do not currently have right now!

If box canyon is North of Cantara Loop but is still on the Sac River then yes this is the area I am talking about. Thanks for the distinction.

I already had someone email me about the truth behind the huge fish here. I told him that I can personally attest to at least 5 lb wild rainbows in there but the game warden says he has caught a few and seen many 10+ lbs. :shock:

[dtp916]

Those guys are planters...

They do plant them that big, and they are definitely massive, but unless its a brown, its a planter.

[Frank Alessio]

You might be thinking of Ney Springs...... You need to cross over and take the road on the West side of the River to get there.... Frank

[jhaquett]

According to the game warden they do not plant above Dunsmuir and they especially never plant in the trophy sections. Although I know it is not a fail safe method for determining hatchery/wild, all of the fish have adipose fin attached, they have the gorgeous coloring normally never found in hatchery fish, etc.

Has anyone else fished this section of river that could oppose to any of my speculations and/or the word of the area's warden?

[dtp916]

You can get hatchery fish from a private hatchery that don't have there adipose fins clipped.

I've seen many, many pictures of guys with big, lunker rainbows that look like holdovers - and many people confuse them with wild.....

Maybe we are talking about different sections of the river?

[MrBig]

To answer your question, you will need a vehicle to get to good fishing. I wouldn't take an RV down Box Canyon either. You could walk to the lake but it would be a long walk.

[jhaquett]

Could be different sections of river...the only reason I am so adamant that they are wild is because that is what the game warden says and that is his job! :D 8)