Drift Fence Reservoir, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Drift Fence Reservoir is a Lassen County water, California side. Elevation runs to 5,715 feet. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. Our Lassen County list holds plenty of bigger water. Alturas at 39 miles is the nearest place to stop. The nearest city of size is Chico, 100 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Drift Fence Reservoir

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Lassen County cover rainbow trout, tahoe sucker, Sacramento sucker, brown trout and brook trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Drift Fence Reservoir responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 63°F and January near 29°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. That is the shape of the year on Drift Fence Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Hazelton Reservoir, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Drift Fence Reservoir as something to verify.