Soldier Mountain Reservoir Fishing Guide, Shasta County, California

• Overview

  Soldier Mountain Reservoir is one of the Shasta County listings for California. The country round it is mixed woodland from end to end. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Shasta County list. Burney at 12 miles is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, McCloud at 33 miles and Dunsmuir at 39 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Soldier Mountain Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. County-wide records name Chinook salmon, green sturgeon, rainbow trout and brook trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Soldier Mountain Reservoir repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 34°F to 67°F. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Time your trip to Soldier Mountain Reservoir by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It is recorded as intermittent, which means the basin empties in dry spells. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Coyote Flat Reservoir is 1.3 miles off. Rules at Soldier Mountain Reservoir are worth checking on the day.