Forest Lake in Tehama County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Forest Lake sits within Tehama County in California. The country round it is farm and woodlot from end to end. A splashy cast here empties the swim; a quiet one owns it. The closest town, Shingletown, is 18 miles away. The nearest city of size is Chico, 52 miles away. Round about: Ridge Lakes about 1.1 miles, Heart Lake a touch under 1.5 miles, Huckleberry Lake about 2.2 miles, Heart Lake a touch under 2.4 miles and Soda Lake about 2.4 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Forest Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Tehama County list Chinook salmon, green sturgeon, Sacramento sucker and rainbow trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Forest Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 57°F in August and bottom out at 28°F in February. The year gives four workable seasons without severe ends. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. On Forest Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Ridge Lakes at 1.1 miles is the nearest alternative. For Forest Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.