3/08/21- Big Shasta Lake browns are being caught almost daily.
Shasta Lake is living up to its reputation as a lake that consistently produces lots of big brown trout during the months of February, March, and April. Shasta has plenty of other months that see good brown trout fishing as well, but these three months typically provide some of the best opportunities in my book. Its possible to dial in any specific fishery at any time, but this timeframe has the least viable options for rainbow trout and salmon fishing so targeting browns just makes more sense to me. The brown trout action is often times slower than we see in the summer months when we’re also catching lots of rainbows and salmon, but targeting big browns has its rewards. I tell clients all the time that some of my best days of brown trout fishing on Shasta will result in five to seven bites, but most days its only a few big fish that will be hooked and landed. With robust plants of browns in Shasta by CDFW, we’re seeing more browns caught daily than we have in the past. Most of the browns we’ve caught this year are one to seven pounds, but we’ll have a shot at a few over ten pounds for sure.
Shasta Lake brown trout caught on 3/11/21
I’m finding most of the browns we catch in the lower lake right now and will likely continue to do so through summer. the Shad will be migrating down into the main body of the lake soon so the browns will be in the main body feeding on them all spring and summer. Bait has been a little hard to find in the main body, but some of the browns we’re finding down low are showing signs that they are finding plenty to feed on. The lake water is pretty clear and its a frigid 49 degrees in most areas of the lake. This can put a damper on brown fishing because browns like warmer water and they are more cautious in really clear water. The clear water is here to stay I think, but we’ll see a warming of the surface in the next few weeks for sure.
Spring rainbow trout caught on 3/5/21 by Halie Van Eperen
Most of the browns will be caught in the 20-30’ foot range, as they are now. Downriggers set to 20’ feet have been taking browns daily. Rolling Shad or running Shad imitation baits is a good bet right now. A variety of Trinidad Tackle spoons or Brad’s Kokanee Cut plugs will also take their fair share of browns in the coming weeks as well. The use of side planers is one of my top techniques as well and will be well into early summer before the lake surface really heats up. Try spending a lot of time trolling the shoreline, but when all else fails, sometimes I find the best fish of the day holding over deep water. Cover lots of water and you’re bound to get bites at some point in the day. Trolling speeds vary, but sticking around 2.5 mph is always a safe bet for me. We’re booked until may, but we have lots of summer dates available for those who didn’t get a chance to fish with us before May this year. We’re looking forward to a great season again this year so don’t hesitate to get your trip date(s) scheduled.
- Captain Jeff Goodwin
