Fishing at Red Lake, Modoc County, California

• Overview

  Red Lake belongs to Modoc County, California. The surroundings are mixed woodland. It measures about 119 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 1.6 miles on foot. Alturas is the closest town at 35 miles. After that come Altamont at 44 miles and Lakeview at 46 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Red Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Modoc County include Sacramento sucker, modoc sucker and rainbow trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Red Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 30°F to 67°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Plan around that when you fish Red Lake. The week either side of a change of season often fishes hardest.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Pinnacle Lake, 2.5 miles out. Where Red Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.