Rock Lake in Siskiyou County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Rock Lake lies within the bounds of Siskiyou County, California. The coast is 38 miles away. Small enough that any disturbance crosses the whole surface. Our Siskiyou County list holds plenty of bigger water. Willow Creek sits 20 miles from the bank. Chico is the closest city, 127 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Rock Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Siskiyou County cover rainbow trout, brook trout, Chinook salmon, klamath smallscale sucker and brown trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Read Rock Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 62°F at the top of summer and 37°F at the bottom of winter. A lid forms in a hard winter only. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Rock Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out. After a storm, the water clears from the edges inwards.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. You can camp about 110 yards away, going by the mapping. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Red Cap Lake at 2.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Rock Lake.