Humboldt Lagoons

[Jeff Fisher]

Taking the tube up to Big Lagoon on Saturday. Not much info on the internet about fishing the lagoons, but the little info I've gathered by talking to a local, I understand that the coastal cutthroat fishing can be pretty good. Along with the chance of hooking into a steelhead now and then.

I have zero experience fishing this lake, so if anyone would care to share some local knowledge, I would greatly appreciate it. Like where to concentrate my efforts so I'm actually fishing over fish or where fish might like to hang out.........

The plan is to just cruise off the shoreline and strip small bunny string leeches.

I know that Freshwater Lagoon has recently been planted with pellet-eaters, so that is probably a distant Plan B if the cutts in Big Lagoon aren't cooperating.

Thanks for any info.

~Jeff

[SHigSpeed]

Taking the tube up to Big Lagoon on Saturday. Not much info on the internet about fishing the lagoons, but the little info I've gathered by talking to a local, I understand that the coastal cutthroat fishing can be pretty good. Along with the chance of hooking into a steelhead now and then.

I have zero experience fishing this lake, so if anyone would care to share some local knowledge, I would greatly appreciate it. Like where to concentrate my efforts so I'm actually fishing over fish or where fish might like to hang out.........

The plan is to just cruise off the shoreline and strip small bunny string leeches.

I know that Freshwater Lagoon has recently been planted with pellet-eaters, so that is probably a distant Plan B if the cutts in Big Lagoon aren't cooperating.

Thanks for any info.

~Jeff

Oooh, good topic! I went to HSU for a couple of years and never got to catch fish in those lagoons but I want to head back up some day to fulfill my coastal cutt req for my second HTC. Share please.

_SHig

[Ben J]

First post..

I would concentrate on the rocky banks along the north'ish shore of Big. A clear intermediate sink tip can really make the difference, and gray or brown buggers along with muddlers or whatever your favorite streamer will get a few looks from the cutts. There are some really big cutties and steelhead in there, i've gotten into a few 18-20 inch sea run cutts.

You can always hike south to the mouth (believe it's closed) from the dry lagoon access point where there should be some spent steelhead waiting for the spit to break.

Was messing around at Freshwater over the weekend and got into some cheeseheads.... got bored pretty quickly though

Most importantly, be careful where you park and don't leave anything in view in your car! tweakers abound up there

Good luck

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

The guys at the Eureka Fly Shop know these lagoons well.

The very popular book "Fly Fishing California Stillwaters" by Bill Sunderland has great info on these lagoons north of Eureka, CA.

My friend Chris Pasley went to Humboldt State many years ago. He would park on the road above the north end of Big Lagoon and walk down hill to the beach. You can cast from shore off the sand at the very north end of the lagoon for land locked (temporarily) Steelhead and Sea-run Cutts. I believe this is where it breaks open after a big rain?

April/May is a top time.

[Steve Dinardi]

I also went to Humboldt State back in the 70's and made it a point to fish both Big Lagoon and Stone Lagoon. I actually favored Stone Lagoon at the time because I could sight fish for cruising cutthroats working the edges of the west end off the sand spit. I recall using a Humboldt Hopper which was actually a wet fly but fished shallow with a floater or sink tip. Those were strong fish on a 5 wt.! I also remember that April was the best month for this fishing and that fishing was better early in the morning. The locations mentioned for Big Lagoon are solid places to fish. While working for Fish and Game we would set out fyke nets in that location about 100 feet off the shoreline to trap cutthroats for scale samples. 18" to 20" cutts were not uncommon at that time. Blind casting in Big Lagoon takes a lot of faith and patience but if you stick with it you will connect with some nice fish. Good Luck.

[Scott V]

Thanks for the info everyone, that area is on my list. What time of year seems to be the best or does it not really matter.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Spring......I think Chris Pasley liked April/May for cruising fish.

Chris cast in front of rising cruisers with a #10 Hare's Ear nymph.

I stopped there once just to look at it in August and it was pretty dead.....

We have "Fly Fishing California Stillwaters" by Bill Sunderland in stock too.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rl...ed=0CAQQtgMwAA

[FlyReelFisher]

Ditto on the vehicle security precautions. The DFG warden once distinguished "Northern Arcata Hippies from those in the South," as he said. I thought that was funny...

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We stopped in Arcadia once about 10 years ago and around the college we saw lots of modern day young 'hippies' just like we had here in the 1970s.

Really culturally shocking for us...,,,,,,,,,.thought they were all gone by then.

[Jeff Fisher]

Thanks everyone for the responses. Very helpful info! Report and pics on Monday.