Fishing at Horseshoe Lake, Siskiyou County, California

• Overview

  In California, Horseshoe Lake falls inside Siskiyou County. It sits at 6,414 feet above sea level. Small at around 7 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The nearest town is Weed, 30 miles away. Chico is the closest city, 125 miles away. Others close at hand: Josephine Lake a shade over 0.5 miles, Big Duck Lake (1.1 miles), Little Duck Lake a shade over 1.1 miles, Eaton Lakes (1.2 miles) and Paynes Lake a shade over 1.6 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Horseshoe Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Siskiyou County cover rainbow trout, brook trout and Chinook salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Read Horseshoe Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about 32°F and August at about 57°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Mild ends to the year keep the season long. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. It holds true on Horseshoe Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Josephine Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Horseshoe Lake.