Manzanita Lake/Lassen advice?

[SFMike]

I'm heading up to camp on Manzanita Lake next weekend and would love any advice on smaller lakes or streams to hike into where I might be able to find trout. Just so you know what I'm looking for, I'll have my son with me who's almost 3 and my nephew who's 6. So ideally I'd love a short hike into someplace where we could catch some little trout on flies. I know Manzanita Lake has some big, smart trout and I might try to stalk a few of them from shore, but for the kids to be entertained, a lake full of little, hungry trout that will eat a dry fly would be absolutely perfect.

If anyone who has some experience in the area could point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

[k9mark]

Well, I read a good article about Lassen in the May/June 2011 Northwest Fly Fishing magazine. Try to get you hands on one if you can. In summary, Manzanita will require long leaders, 12' 5x/6x. Also check out where Manzanita Creeks runs into the lake. Next best drive to lake is Butte Lake. Stream fishing will be Hot Springs Creek, Grassy Creek, Kings Creek.

I'll see if I can scan the article for emailing if you can;t locate a copy

[Terry Thomas]

There is a closure zone where Manzanita Creek enters the lake and it is enforced.

[Rich Morrison]

Kings creek trail from the main road to the falls is not too bad with kids. And there are a fair number of small brookies in that section. I always get 'em out with a little copper john or a renegade dappled into the pcket water. Might be good for the little guys - not really any casting required.

[k9mark]

There is a closure zone where Manzanita Creek enters the lake and it is enforced.


Good to know, the article never made mention of that.

[SFMike]

Rich and k9Mark, thanks for the advice and Terry thanks for the warning. I definitely saw that article in NW Flyfishing, I just have to find my copy. I saw a good map of the park online too, so I'll mark where those creeks are and see if I can organize a couple of little excursions up them.

Thanks again for the info!

mike

[neil]

Just got back from five days in the cabins at Manzanita Lake. Was there with the fam, which includes 6 yo and 8 yo kids, so fishing was on the brain for all three of us.

We fished Manzanita twice a day, both from shore and in our canoe, with nothing to show for it. Got what sounded like good beta from The Fly Shop in Redding, but even the little fish were too fast and smart for me. (Keep in mind, I'm a rookie).

There was a nice hatch each evening near shore, and I probably got a half-dozen rises to a para Adams sz 14, but couldn't make 'em stick. Kids were throwing hardware with no effect, no surprise there. I fished an I-line with a bugger for a bit, but didn't really put time into that.

But, there are some lunkers in there! We stalked some browns along the western shoreline from our canoe that were 5-7 lbs, no joke. My youngest also hooked into something big trolling a rainbow pattern Z-Ray late one morning. It stripped line for three seconds, and then was gone. Oh, what coulda been...

I saw lots of folks fishing, and none of them catching. Saw two guys who reported getting a few fish: one in an inflatable plugging with a rainbow pattern Rapala, and a fly guy fishing nymphs on a sink-tip with very, very slow retrieve.

BUT, the upside...Lassen is beautiful! Enjoy, and please report back...

[Lincoln Gray]

Mike -

There are a couple of places up there that I take my kids and nephew to.

1. Crater Lake or Little Crater Lake. It is off of Hwy 44 and is a put and take lake. The fish a very willing.
2. Butte Creek. Butte Creek comes out of Butte Lake that is located in Lassen Park. Access it from Hwy 44. This creek is loaded with small brook and rainbow trout that are very accessible.

Enjoy!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We use to fish Manzanita Lake and McCumber Reservoir in the 1970s.

My good buddy Mel Jeffs had a nice tent trailer and we had two 8' fiberglass TP&L prams.

From Manzanita Lake, McCumber Reservoir is back towards I5 on Hwy 44 East and is small, shallow and weedy. It has a few camp sites. Lots of damsels and callibaetis........

We also fished other little lakes in that area, Grace and Nora.

We would fish McCumber in the morning, then drive to Manzanita for the afternoon callibaetis hatch.

I would go to both of those lakes in June for some prime time fishing, on a normal year.

McCumber:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=redding+ca&hl=en&ll=40.542749,-121.730661&spn=0.013632,0.032938&t=k&z=16

.

On Manzanita around sunset close to the 4th of July they can have a traveling sedge/motorboat caddis hatch.

Manzanita:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Manzanita+Lake,+Shasta,+California+96088&hl=en&ll=40.535068,-121.565909&spn=0.013633,0.032938&sll=40.74872,-121.480626&sspn=0.006795,0.016469&geocode=FauCagIdvCTB-A&t=k&z=16

Having something to float in is nice on most lakes.

.

[Lincoln Gray]

Fished McCumber on Saturday morning. It was a bit slow, but we pulled out around 20 or rainbows, with one brown.
Damsel flies and small mayflies were key.

[windknot]

Hi Mike,

Hat Lake (the headwaters to Hat Creek) is within the Lassen NP boundary, located right near the road, and has lots of willing little brookies (or at least had them when I was last there in 2006). It's a pretty swampy, shallow lake, but I caught a fish per cast using beadhead nymphs before the mosquitoes drove me away.

Hope this helps,
Matt

[SFMike]

Wow, thanks to everyone for the great advice! I can't wait to get out there and see what we can coax up. My brother is bringing a kayak, so that should work well on Manzanita and maybe we'll get lucky and tie into one of those 5lb browns!

But honestly, I think I'll be pretty happy if we can catch some little brookies and rainbows so the kids can see them. Crater, Butte and Hat Lakes and Kings Creek all sound like they'll be great kid-friendly excursions.

Mike

[huntindog]

...dont forget some black ants...i fished it two weeks ago for an hour in the morning and did pretty well using a very simple black ant pattern

[SFMike]

First of all, thanks to everyone that posted advice. I really appreciate it! Second of all, to anyone as naive as I am thinking that you'll actually get to fish on a trip with a 2.5 yr old, just don't get your hopes too high! We had a lot of fun throwing dirt and rocks in the lake, but it's pretty hard to stalk spooky trout when someone's launching pinecones at them. But we did have fun and got to catch a few fish in Hat Creek (put and take stocked trout). Still, I think my son was much more excited about a little water snake that we caught than by any of the trout.

I will say that we saw some really nice looking trout in Manzanita Lake and I'd like to get back there to really give it a shot. Maybe next year!

Cheers,
Mike

[neil]

Great photos, glad you had fun!