Big Meadows Reservoir, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Big Meadows Reservoir sits in Lassen County, out in California. Open valley runs right down to the water. Surface area runs to about 8 acres — small enough to read in one session. For supplies, Alturas is 33 miles out. The big place round here is Reno, 107 miles distant. Also on the doorstep: Mendiboure Reservoir roughly 4.3 miles, Rager Reservoir about 7.3 miles, Van Loan Reservoir roughly 7.4 miles, Boot Lake about 10 miles and Smith Reservoir roughly 10 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Big Meadows Reservoir

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Reported across Lassen County: rainbow trout, tahoe sucker, Sacramento sucker and brown trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Big Meadows Reservoir gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 27°F in January and 63°F in July. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. At Big Meadows Reservoir the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Mendiboure Reservoir at 4.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Big Meadows Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.