Willow Lake Fishing Guide, Lassen County, California

• Overview

  Within Lassen County, California, you have Willow Lake. Height above sea level is 6,329 feet. It runs to roughly 26 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Johnstonville is the closest town at 48 miles. Alturas is 48 miles and Susanville 49 miles. Close by you have: 1.1 miles away is Powell Reservoir, Buckhorn Lake (1.2 miles), 1.4 miles away is Round Corral Reservoir, Pilgrim Lake (2.5 miles) and 2.6 miles away is SOB Lake. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Willow Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Lassen County include rainbow trout, tahoe sucker, Sacramento sucker, brown trout and brook trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Willow Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 65°F at the top of summer and 28°F at the bottom of winter. In milder years the surface never sets. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Anyone fishing Willow Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Powell Reservoir sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Signs at Willow Lake carry more weight than any list.