Fishing at Joiner Reservoir, Modoc County, California

• Overview

  Out in Modoc County, California, sits Joiner Reservoir. This is farm and woodlot ground. It covers about 6 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Modoc County standards. The nearest place of any size is Burney, 36 miles away. The nearest city of size is Chico, 113 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Joiner Reservoir

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Reported across Modoc County: Sacramento sucker, modoc sucker, rainbow trout and green sunfish. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Joiner Reservoir for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 66°F in August and bottom out at 30°F in January. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Plan around that when you fish Joiner Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. 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 the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Little Egg Lake, 1.7 miles out. The position on Joiner Reservoir is worth confirming on the day.