Dead Horse Reservoir in Modoc County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Modoc County, California, is where Dead Horse Reservoir sits. Elevation runs to 5,013 feet. About 470 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. It is among the larger waters listed here for Modoc County. Alturas is the closest town at 15 miles. Beyond it, Lakeview at 36 miles and Altamont at 69 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Dead Horse Reservoir

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Open biodiversity records for Modoc County list Sacramento sucker, modoc sucker, rainbow trout, green sunfish and brook trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Dead Horse Reservoir repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 29°F in January and 66°F in July. In milder years the surface never sets. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Time your trip to Dead Horse Reservoir by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Government Reservoir is 3.5 miles distant. Treat Dead Horse Reservoir as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.