Cow Lake Fishing Guide, Lassen County, California

• Overview

  This water sits in Lassen County, California. The bank is 4,898 feet above sea level. Susanville is the closest place, 36 miles off. Burney follows at 36 miles, then Johnstonville at 40 miles. Close by you have: Coyote Reservoir roughly 1.5 miles, Indian Reservoir 3 miles off, Buckhorn Waterhole roughly 3.2 miles, Lost Valley Reservoir 3.9 miles off and Dobe Flat Reservoir roughly 3.9 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Cow Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Lassen County include rainbow trout, tahoe sucker, Sacramento sucker, brown trout and brook trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Cow Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 31°F to 65°F. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. That is the shape of the year on Cow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Mapped as intermittent, it fills after rain and shrinks between. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Coyote Reservoir is 1.5 miles distant. What applies at Cow Lake may have changed since it was mapped.