Pit River Camping

[lynnwhite44]

Still haven't fishied the Pit with the higher flows so I may head up father's day weekend as the wife and kids gave me permission get away.

I was wondering about the camping in the canyon. I used to camp in #4 along the river but I've read that developed campgrounds were coming.

I've also camped at Lake Britton but I would like to stay in the canyon if possible.

[Bob Loblaw]

I'm going to be up there myself for 4 days at Burney McArthur State Campground. Fishing the Pit a couple of days and Hat Creek a couple of days. I will have the family in tow but have a man pass to do whatever I want.

Fathers day ROCKS!

[EricO]

Yes there are unimproved campgrounds on Pit 4. LOVE camping there.

Just take a few of the dirt turnoffs along Pit 4 and you'll see numerous fire pits.
Then set 'er up!

I have very good memories camping along Pit 4. Can't say much for the fishing
now with the higher flows. Some like it....but I think a lot of good water was
ruined.

Have fun man....report back.

EO

[jnesheim]

I camped in May at the new Ruling Creek campground. Awesome, toilets, water, fire pits, spcial spots for RVs and tents, as well as trucks. About mid section of Pit 4. May no be officially opened, was no charge in May. Enjoy.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We camped for years at the old Deep Creek camp ground just upstream from Henderson Springs private water lodge.

Not sure if the road is good enough to go in there.

[Tfisher]

I camped in May at the new Ruling Creek campground. Awesome, toilets, water, fire pits, spcial spots for RVs and tents, as well as trucks. About mid section of Pit 4. May no be officially opened, was no charge in May. Enjoy.

To clarify, the new facilities at Ruling Creek are open. I believe PG&E is planning on charging a fee, though I'm not sure what it is. The facilities are nice, include water, fire pits, ample room and are located riverside for easy fishing access.


Been fishing the river all over and doing fairly well the past couple of weeks. Nothing fancy needed. A lot of golden stones are out, as well as caddis (black micro and large size 12 tan), along with some larger size mayflies, though 99% of my fishing has been subsurface. Lots of great water to explore along Pit 3 and 4. Just find the clearly marked turnouts and explore. Haven't made it down to 5 yet this year.


We camped for years at the old Deep Creek camp ground just upstream from Henderson Springs private water lodge.

Not sure if the road is good enough to go in there.

Right now the campgrounds are inaccessible to traffic due to a huge bolder blocking the last 1/4 mile of the road. It completely blocks the road, so it is ill-advisable to travel down the road unless you plan on stopping and hiking in the rest of the way. The Friday before Memorial day someone from San Francisco tried to drive around it and got his brand new Lexus stuck. No cell coverage in there. Luckily he had several friends coming, so I believe they were able to get a tow truck sometime during the weekend. Can't say he wasn't warned, or that it was a cheap tow.

[lynnwhite44]

Thanks for the info guys. I think I'll try the new campsites at Rushing Creek.

Bob, maybe I'll see ya out there, I'll be in the brown Xterra.

I will probably try Hat Creek also. After wading, falling, bruising and swimming on the Pit going over to Hat Creek is welcome reprieve.

[EricO]

Good idea to lick the wounds after the Pit. Don't forget your Vitamin I (ibuprofen) :)

Post a report on your success- hope you slay 'em.

EO

[Bob Loblaw]

Thanks for the info guys. I think I'll try the new campsites at Rushing Creek.

Bob, maybe I'll see ya out there, I'll be in the brown Xterra.

I will probably try Hat Creek also. After wading, falling, bruising and swimming on the Pit going over to Hat Creek is welcome reprieve.

I'll be in a red Pathfinder, probably going to fish the Hat Creek Powerhouse 2 riffle on Friday and Pit 3 Saturday. Sunday I'll be taking my daughter bait dunking in Burney Creek or out on the lake.

[lynnwhite44]

Another great time on the Pit.

On the drive up I realized that I forgot a wading staff, I had 3 at home. So I stopped at the Fly Shop to buy another. I was at the counter purcahsing my new $45 Harts Wading staff when the clerk said, "the Pit has tons of wading staffs". Little did I know how prophetic his statement was. I somehow lost the staff on #3 friday. Found a nice pine branch, cleaned it up and tied it to my wading belt with some extra clothes line.

Got up there thurday around noon. It was pretty warm so I decided to fish in a tank top. Don't fish the Pit in a tank top. Those soft looking tufts of grass that grow on the boulders are actually sharp little blades that left grass burns on up my sides and under my arms.

My shins are battered and bruised. I was sitting by the campfire contemplating my sore shins when I came up with a solution.....soccer shin guards. Maybe someone is already using them.

Saturday morning I went to a run on # 3 that I had never fished before. After an hour of fishing I only had one fish to show for my labors. I had my rig trailing behind me as I moved up the next casting spot. My rig consisted of a large adult salmon fly and 2 trailing nymphs. I had caught several small fish this way on the dangle as the fish would hit the nymphs. However, this time something heavy hit my line. After a few minutes I was able land a beautiful 20" brown. The fish actually devoured the adult salmon fly imitation. It must have thought salmon fly was skittering on the surface trying to escape. My only regret was that I didn't see it hit the fly. Had several fish hit the salmon fly but this was the only one that I actually hooked. I don't recall ever catching a brown on the Pit. Left the camera in the car. Rogue foam stone is my favorite salmon fly pattern. Very bouyant and looks very buggy in the water.

Bugs were everywhere. Golden stones, pmd, yellow sallies, caddis. Best flies tan caddis pupa, amber prince and dark lords. Saw at least five different dragon flies. The coolest were chartruse with black wings and another one was bright red with black wings.

Saw the new campground at Ruling Creek. Nice place with pristine toilets. Sites are $8 a night. They even had firewood at every site. However, I camped at another location on #4 where I have stayed a few times before. PG&E also paved alot of the roads and there are now signs with names identifying popular fishing spots. Some trails are still unmarked.

I was as disappointed as anyone when I heard of the increased flows on the Pit but I've got to say the wading wasn't much worse that before. On # 3 it looked like the water level only raised about 6 to 8 inches. I didn't try to cross the river but I think the fishing may have improved slightly IMHO. #4 was a little tougher and I avoided #5 because I mistakenly thought it was raging at 750cfs when it was really around 500cfs. The Fly Shop had it wrong on thier board. Come on man, update the board.

Saturday afternoon while driving from #4 to # 3 along the lake I spotted some rises so I stopped to check it out. I saw 20 to 30 giant rainbows schooling around and occationally rising to the surface. Does anyone ever fish the lakes. I v'e never seen anyone. Might have to bring my pontoon next time. Look at the lower half of this photo.
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The fishing was awesome, 20 to 30 fish days were the norm. Got a little crowded Saturday but by 6:00pm most fisherman are off the river. Can't wait till next time with shin guards.
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What the hell is this.
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[lynnwhite44]

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[Scott V]

I still have yet to fish the Pit.


As for what the heck was that print in that picture. Mrs. Bigfoot would be my guess. To small to be Mr. Bigfoot.

[Nooksack Mac]

FWIW, there's also a BLM campground near Pit #1 powerhouse. A few camping sites, picnic tables next to a swimming slough of the Pit, and a camp manager who looks like George Carlin. $8, $4 with Golden Age pass. It's just three miles east of Hat Creek #2 turnoff from Route 299.

[Mike O]

Yogi was looking for pickanick baskets.

Bood idear on the shin guards...i think my kid has a pair around here somewheres

[Bob Loblaw]

I looked for the xterra on Saturday but didn't see you. I was parked at Rock Creek (Pit 3) all day. With 20 fish a day you were doing much better than me. I had 20 hookups but only got 6 in the net. Those fish are incredibly strong and know how to break you off. I found it really hard to get downstream of my fish...its hard enough getting around that river without a fish on!...and the big ones knew to run into fast water and that was that.

I didn't have any problems with crowding. Didn't see another soul all day. There were some cars in the pullouts as I was driving back up to the dam, but down where I fished it was just me and the ospreys.

Can't wait to get back out there...this time with a big supply of 3x and 4x.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I like June and Sept/Oct on the Pit River.

It has been a top river for decades. Hope they don't screw it up.

The trout in the fall are in the highly oxegenated water.......not back in the slower drifts with the sqawfish and suckers.

If the big Isonychi mayflys come off it is uslly around the second week in September.

[lynnwhite44]

Hey Bob, I saw your vehicle at Rock Creek as I drove by a couple times on Saturday.

I Lost a lot of fish also. I had better luck after I remembered a technique that I have used there in the past. I try to guide the fish out of the fast water and into the soft pockets, when I get the head up I skate the fish up to me. Granted some of the bigger fish are harder to skate. I had to work down river on some of the bigger fish. I had a couple fish swim complete circles around me. they are some tough hard fighting footballs.

I know you were there with your family so you couldn't put in the hours that I did. I was up a 6:00 am and fishing by 7:30. I would fish till 7 or 8 depending on when I took my involuntary swim.

Mike O, so that was a bear track huh. Glad I didn't meet yogi on the trail.

Poison oak is everywhere on the Pit along with Blackberries. Luckily it has no affect on my skin. However, my wife is highly allergic to it. Usually I bag all my clothes and do my own laundry. She got poison oak on monday, whoops sorry wifey.

[Bob Loblaw]

I took a couple of dips myself, both times as I was just about to get out of the water and let my guard down. I like your shin guard idea, but I think a butt pad would be useful too. I slipped and landed hard on my ass a few times and felt it the next morning.

There's something nice about laying down in a cool stream and feeling the water run down your back and inside your waders after you've been standing in the sun for a couple of hours. I was in no hurry to get myself upright the first time I went down. :-)

[EricO]

I bought some shin guards (use primarily for mountain biking) but they kind of tear up the skin.

I found a much more comfortable alternative. I bought sliding pads. The ones baseball and softball players use. They are pretty comfy and fit fine underneath waders, or just slide over the top of the knees. They won't cover your entire shin, but work well enough to protect the ol' kneecaps.

I have several Pit scars on the shins. Should have got these years ago. Would have saved
me some skin.

EO

[pgw]

When I was on the Tac Squad in the 70's, we used soccer style shin pads (between pairs of socks) under our coveralls (and later BDUs)...I've used those under my waders for 30+ years when fishing the Pit, U Sac, & McCloud...light and affordable.

Knee pads (over the waders) help too!

Paul