Lion Lake in Trinity County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Trinity County, California. It sits at 7,018 feet above sea level. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Weaverville lies 22 miles from the water. The big place round here is Chico, 106 miles distant. Within a short drive: Foster Lake out at 0.3 miles, 1.1 miles away is Sugar Pine Lake, Found Lake out at 1.7 miles, 1.8 miles away is Union Lake and Tapie Lake out at 1.9 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lion Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Trinity County include rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, brook trout and klamath smallscale sucker. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read Lion Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 57°F in August and bottoms out near 30°F in December. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Lion Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Foster Lake is 0.3 miles off. Confirm access to Lion Lake locally before you travel.