Your "top 10" trout fishing destinations......in CA.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Lets list the places we have fished for trout that haves stuck in our hearts and minds.

Pit River - number one for me.

Hat Creek

Upper Sac

Fall River

Lake McCumber

Manzanita Lake

Lake Solano

Silver Fork of the American River

Caples Creek

Lower Yuba River

Some of this for me was fishing these river many years ago.

[Frank Alessio]

!. Cantera Loop

2. Ney Springs

3. Mossbrae Falls

4. Prospect Ave

5. Shasta Retreat

6. City Park

7. Downtown Dunsmuir

8. South Dunsmuir

9. Sims

10. Castella

[Mike R]

I'll have to think if I've fished for trout (not SH) in ten places here.

1. McCloud

2. Hat Creek

3. LSac

4. LYuba

5. W Carson in Hope Valley (fishing sorta stinks but dang its pretty)

6. Fall River

7. Calaveras

8,9,10... Not to be rude, but I'm not going to kiss and tell.

Mike

[Lincoln Gray]

Mine would be:

Lower Sac
Lake Almanor
Goodrich Creek
Deer Creek
Manzanita Lake
McCumber Lake
McCoy Flats
Davis Lake
Fall River
Digger Creek Ranch

[Walker]

Hat Creek
Pit River
Fall River
Baum Lake
Manzanita Lake
Battle Creek
Lake McCumber
Burney Creek
Poison Lake

Putting this list together brings back many great memories and is a reminder of why I love fishing. The 'memories' made with friends and family!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

!. Cantera Loop

2. Ney Springs

3. Mossbrae Falls

4. Prospect Ave

5. Shasta Retreat

6. City Park

7. Downtown Dunsmuir

8. South Dunsmuir

9. Sims

10. Castella



I like it Frank....it is a magical river.


Local Dunsmuir guide Bill Carmazzo said he had a client recently hook, fight and eventually loose the large trout he has seen anyone hook in the Upper Sac.

.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

This is fun......

[BobVP]

In no particular order....I can't bring myself to "rate" one better than the next. They change. I change what I am looking for. I can say I have never had a bad day on any of them. Days when there weren't many (or any) fish, sure; Days when the wind blew and the rain/snow fell, of course. But never a bad day.

Fall

Hat (Flats)

NF Yuba

Little Truckee

Pit

Lavazolla

Feather (Above Alamnor)

The lakes of the Marble Mountains

Tuolumne (At the meadows..This one because it is where my daughter caught her first fish on a fly)

That little creek that runs behind the house in Inverness Park, where I caught my first fish....No, it wasn't an anadromous fish. If this one doesn't "fit", because no one fishes there any more....then my 10th would be:

Upper Sacramento

[Mike O]

In no pArticualr order

Lower Lower Hat Creek
Snag Lake
Lower Yuba
NF Yuba
Truckee
West Carson Hope Valley Section
Upper Rock Creek
Silver Fork American
East Carson Wild Trout Section
Upper South Fork American

On this list would have been Putah...but the elitists killed it for me.

[Frank Alessio]

Bill... Last year I hooked a monster and it went to the bottom of the river and I could not budge it.... This year I hooked a Fish in the same hole and it took off like a stuck hog... It peeled off almost the whole fly line stopped way down river in the current and finally got off.. I have not seen this fish yet... I am looking forward to my next trip... Frank

[DAVID95670]

No one listed Truckee river; interesting.

No list since I have not gotten to many yet, must say I have loved every one I have fished so far. Favorites so far = biggest fish

Klamath
E Carson
E Walker
L Yuba
NF Yuba
SF American

then

Owens
Truckee
Silver Fork

[FRSam]

1. Davis Lake

2. Eagle Lake

3. Lake Almanor

4. NF Yuba / Truckee

5. Manzanita Lake

6. Upper Sac

7. Middle Fork of the Feather

8. Fall River

9. Cutting my teeth on the small creeks & streams in Plumas County including Jamison Creek . & Nelson Creek

10. Milton Reservoir

The memories these bodies of water hold often out weigh the quality of the fishing I had.

Pete

[Fly Guy Dave]

Here's a listing of favorites, but their order might shift a bit now and then:

East Carson (been on top for a while now, but Hangman's downstream only)
NF Feather (the canyon section rocks!)
Truckee (love=hate with this one)
Manzanita Lake (callibaetis, baby!)
Hot Creek (only in the dead of winter)
Lower Owens (I've had some GREAT days here)
West Carson (Hope Valley section)
East Walker (see Truckee comment)
West Walker (better before the flood in 1997)
...and some east slope creeks that will remain un-named.

[DFrink]

Dude Dave, just looked at your blog under your signature. You are the man!

[Larry S]

Finally some love for the Eastern Sierra.
Letterman soured me on "top ten" lists.
Best to all the Kiene krazies,
Larry S

[Darian]

In no pArticualr order

Lower Lower Hat Creek
Snag Lake
Lower Yuba
NF Yuba
Truckee
West Carson Hope Valley Section
Upper Rock Creek
Silver Fork American
East Carson Wild Trout Section
Upper South Fork American


David95670,.... Looks like Mike did list the Truckee.... :nod:

[pgw]

...In no particular order after the Upper Sac,

Upper Sac

Hat Creek
Manzanita Lake
Truckee River (T & Little T)
N Fork of Yuba
McCloud
Lower Sac
W Walker
Carson (W & E)
Pit

Paul

[DAVID95670]

Good to see Truckee starting to make it into the ranks....I watch gilligans YouTube last night .... I know it is a hard river but man it looks great ....oh yeah the scenery is nice as well not just those elusive big trout lol

[DAVID95670]

What makes one river better than the other?

What influences our rankings? For me it is size and fight of fish only cuz I grew up fishing small creeks for small trout in south eastern Ontario. Only large fish were rainbows, salmon and browns that run up rivers for winter aka steelhead.

I have not seen a creek or river I have not loved since moving to California. Man the s fork eel is the most amazing thing I have ever stood in at day break

[NCL]

A couple that have not been mentioned:

1) Trinity River
2) Lewiston Lake

[Fly Guy Dave]

Dude Dave, just looked at your blog under your signature. You are the man!

I do likes me them native trout! :D

[huntindog]

1. a famous river in shasta county
2. a secret creek in shasta county
3. a little secret creek in butte county
4. a blue ribbon river in shasta county
5. a lake in lassen county
6. a BIG river northwest of Redding
7. another river west of redding
8. my dock
9. another stream in Shasta County
10. The sac.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Bill... Last year I hooked a monster and it went to the bottom of the river and I could not budge it.... This year I hooked a Fish in the same hole and it took off like a stuck hog... It peeled off almost the whole fly line stopped way down river in the current and finally got off.. I have not seen this fish yet... I am looking forward to my next trip... Frank

Thats great Frank.......

Guide Bill Carnazzo told me the big fish his client recently hooked, fought and lost down river from Dunsmuir was over 5 pounds.

I think big fish come up river in the spring to spawn from Shasta Lake.

It is a very special river with the chance to hook a very large wild Rainbow trout.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

1. a famous river in shasta county
2. a secret creek in shasta county
3. a little secret creek in butte county
4. a blue ribbon river in shasta county
5. a lake in lassen county
6. a BIG river northwest of Redding
7. another river west of redding
8. my dock
9. another stream in Shasta County
10. The sac.


I love this one post.......

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

These posts do give people ideas which places in Nor Cal are pretty special.

[JGB]

Hey BK are you running out of ideas of where to fish?

Love your post; posters are serving them up like hotcakes!

Just wait, by the end of the season posters are going to be b!tching about how crowded their favorite spots are!

Keep those ideas coming please!

\\:D/ =D>

(My faves are very similiar to hd's).

JGB

[Ben Kobrin]

Here are mine in no particular order...some names are not revealed in order to protect them from the unworthy!

McCloud River (Royal Wulff fly, Joan Wulff Favorite rod, Wulff Triangle Taper Line..woo-hoo):

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/lazychuck1/McCloud%20Spring%202009/IMGP1579-1.jpg

Lake You'll-Have-To-Hike-Alot-To-Find-It:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/lazychuck1/Emigrant%202007/IMGP0391.jpg

Trinity River:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/lazychuck1/Misc%20Fishing/photo15.jpg

My favorite wilderness lake:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/lazychuck1/Hyatt%202009/Hyattlake09027.jpg

East Walker:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/lazychuck1/Misc%20Fishing/P6130009.jpg

Lower Sac:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/lazychuck1/Lower%20Sac%202012/2e29c8d1.jpg

Upper Owens:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/lazychuck1/photo32.jpg

Lots of driving then lots of hiking:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/lazychuck1/Emigrant%202007/IMGP0333.jpg

Little stream so far away that it will tire out a Lab (not easy) :

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/lazychuck1/Misc%20Fishing/IMGP00491.jpg

Lower Owens:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/lazychuck1/Misc%20Fishing/P6140020.jpg

[Frank Alessio]

Absolutely Great Photography....

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

GPS co-ordinances are nice too.......

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I don't think any of these places are secrets......especially after this.

[huntindog]

Thanks Ben, now i have a trout stiffy..not just a little 4 wt stiffy either...this is a 10 wt salmon rod stiffy...luckily for me i am packing up right now to head to one of my favorite places...

[JGB]

Hey BK, no the other one!

Nice pix! Love that Upper Owens one!

Good stuff, thanx.

JGB

[Ben Kobrin]

Thanks guys...most of that was recycled from old trip reports, but it was fun to go back and reminisce.

-Ben

[EricO]

One thing I love, but it doesn't happen often....catching fish from the bank at
high sierra lakes. You know the kind...lotsa granite and few trees.

Love the stalking.

Great thread...I need to fish.....got the shakes. :)

EO

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We love pictures so many thanks again to all who have posted pictures on our little BB.

[JAWallace]

Crowley Lake
Indian Creek Reservoir
E. Walker
Hot Creek
Lower Owens
W. Walker
San Diego Bay
San Joaquin
Manzanita Lake
Lower Sac

[mikel]

Bridgeport area creeks
East Walker
Trinity
Virginia Lakes back country lakes
Upper Sac
Rock Creek Ponds
Owens (upper, gorge, lower)
North Lake

I guess that's actually more than 10...no order

[EricO]

Man, does this thread prove how awesome we have it in California for trout!!

Upper Sac
NF Yuba
Calaveras river
NF Feather
American river
Pit river
Truckee river
Grouse Ridge area
Lower Sac
McCloud river

EO

[Ned Morris]

1. A waterway in Mendocino County
2. A waterway in Amador County
3. A waterway in Monterey County
4. A waterway in Madera County
5. John Muir Wilderness
6. Hoover Wilderness
7. Alpine County
8. MF Yuba
9. Clavey River
10. Upper Sac

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks Ned.....maybe we will put a GPS tracking devise on your vehicle? Ha Ha!

[Ned Morris]

Thanks Ned.....maybe we will put a GPS tracking devise on your vehicle? Ha Ha!

Won't getcha much of anything Bill unless you put in my Backpack!:)

[BobVP]

Okay Ned, you got me going.....Mendocino County? Unless you are talkin' steelhead I can't think of a place here (I live in Mendocino) to fish for "trout".
But if you know of one, more power to you.

Bob

[dickwhite]

CA:
LT - after it snows
E. Carson - Upstream in the wilderness
Trinity
Warner Mtns
Lower Sac
Muir Wilderness
Out of State:
Lochsa, ID
St. Joe, ID
Clearwater, ID

Dick White
Tahoma CA

[Ned Morris]

Okay Ned, you got me going.....Mendocino County? Unless you are talkin' steelhead I can't think of a place here (I live in Mendocino) to fish for "trout".
But if you know of one, more power to you.

Bob

Private Lake out of Layotonville that shall remain nameless.

[Ned Morris]

CA:
LT - after it snows
E. Carson - Upstream in the wilderness
Trinity
Warner Mtns
Lower Sac
Muir Wilderness
Out of State:
Lochsa, ID
St. Joe, ID
Clearwater, ID

Dick White
Tahoma CA


Cheers Dick on Warner Mts!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wineslob]

If I told you, I'd have to kill you. 8)

[JohnD]

Sounds like fun.

1a Upper Sac
1b McCloud
Pit
Any high country lake with fish in it
Owens - all of it
Hat Cr
Lower Sac
Trib to Truckee
Truckee
LT
E Carson

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-E3nGQPL3lH8/SKBdxugZCyI/AAAAAAAAAn4/MqnY-HkpRbw/s640/DSC03303.JPG


https://sites.google.com/site/belemnoid/_/rsrc/1259832735255/DSCN2128Medium-full.jpg