Fishing at Van Sickle Lake, Lassen County, California

• Overview

  Set in Lassen County, California, this is Van Sickle Lake. Elevation runs to 5,587 feet. With some 40 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. There is roughly 1.0 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. You are 36 miles from Susanville. Chico is the closest city, 95 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Van Sickle Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Lassen County include rainbow trout, tahoe sucker, Sacramento sucker and brown trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Van Sickle Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 62°F; the cold one sits at 29°F. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Plan around that when you fish Van Sickle Lake. A settled week fishes better than a changeable one.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Records show it does not hold water year-round. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Indian Reservoir, 1.3 miles out. Treat access at Van Sickle Lake as something to verify.