Cloak Lake in Siskiyou County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Cloak Lake stands in Siskiyou County, California. Oak and grass runs right down to the water. This is a pocket water of some 11 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The town to know is Montague, 7.6 miles out. Yreka follows at 12 miles, then Weed at 15 miles. More in the same country: Barton Lake 0.4 miles away, Salt Lake just 0.7 miles, Cedar Lake 2.2 miles away, Big Springs Lake just 3.4 miles and Trout Lake 3.7 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Cloak Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Siskiyou County cover rainbow trout, brook trout and Chinook salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Cloak Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 72°F in August and bottoms out near 36°F in January. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Cloak Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Barton Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Cloak Lake for certain.