Rainy Lake Fishing near Happy Camp, California

• Overview

  Rainy Lake is one of the Siskiyou County waters in California. Height above sea level is 5,397 feet. The water measures roughly 5 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Start from Happy Camp, 18 miles down the road. Beyond it, Yreka at 33 miles and Montague at 38 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Rainy Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Siskiyou County cover rainbow trout, brook trout and Chinook salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Rainy Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 60°F and December reads 34°F. Whether it freezes depends on the year. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. The season on Rainy Lake rarely departs from it. After a storm, the water clears from the edges inwards.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Big Elk Lake is 1.2 miles distant. Treat Rainy Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.