Fishing at Barton Lake, Siskiyou County, California

• Overview

  Barton Lake is a Siskiyou County water, California side. The setting is open plain on every side. It runs to roughly 29 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Size puts it in the front rank of our Siskiyou County list. The closest town, Montague, is 7.2 miles distant. Chico sits 136 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Barton Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Records held for Siskiyou County cover rainbow trout, brook trout, Chinook salmon and klamath smallscale sucker. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Barton Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 36°F in January to roughly 72°F in August. Winter here means light layers, not lost months. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. The season on Barton Lake rarely departs from it. A cold snap sets things back for several days.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Cloak Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Barton Lake are worth checking on the day.