Fishing at Red Rock Lakes, Siskiyou County, California

• Overview

  This water sits in Siskiyou County, California. The setting is mixed woodland on every side. It measures about 88 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. There is roughly 1.5 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Size puts it in the front rank of our Siskiyou County list. The nearest town is Altamont, 27 miles away. Chico is the closest city, 145 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Red Rock Lakes

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Siskiyou County: rainbow trout, brook trout, Chinook salmon and klamath smallscale sucker. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Treat Red Rock Lakes as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 66°F and January about 30°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. The season on Red Rock Lakes rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Wild Horse Lake at 1.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Red Rock Lakes is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.