Soda Lake in Shasta County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Soda Lake sits in Shasta County, out in California. It lies 7,848 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Shasta County. Head to Shingletown, 18 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 54 miles to Chico, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Soda Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Shasta County names Chinook salmon, green sturgeon, rainbow trout, brook trout and Sacramento sucker. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Soda Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 57°F and February about 28°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. That shapes the year on Soda Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Emerald Lake is 1.1 miles off. None of that is settled for Soda Lake in what we hold.