Green Spring Reservoir in Modoc County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Modoc County, California, this is Green Spring Reservoir. The ground around here is open valley. Surface area is around 165 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The bank runs about 2.6 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Alturas at 26 miles is the nearest place to stop. Chico is the closest city, 160 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Green Spring Reservoir

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Survey and observation records for Modoc County include Sacramento sucker, modoc sucker and rainbow trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Green Spring Reservoir gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 29°F in January up to 64°F in August. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Green Spring Reservoir fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Mud Lake, 2.3 miles away. Where Green Spring Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.