Eagle Lake / Susanville

Side Trip: A1 or Highway 139 to Eagle Lake

 
Eagle Lake

Elevation: 5,100

Road condition:   Paved   

Day hikes to fishing:

Region:           Area/description: Located in a semi-arid basin surrounded by volcanic mountains on the eastern flank of the Cascade Range

Lake size: As the second largest natural lake in California, Eagle Lake is almost 13-miles long and exceeds 27,000 acres at full pool.  Boaters have about 100 miles of shoreline to explore and fish for those famous Eagle Lake lunkers that can reach upwards of eight pounds and average 2 to 3 pounds.   Depth: Maximum 92-feet.  The BLM web site describes the lake as irregular in shape, divided into three sections and connected by channels.  “The northern section averages six feet in depth; the middle section has an average of ten feet; and the southern section reaches a maximum of 92 feet.”      Species: Eagle Lake Trout are the only strain of trout adaptable to the high alkalinity in the lake.  The only other fish inhabitants in the lake are tui chub and minnows.  With high concentrations of aquatic insect life, especially leeches and freshwater shrimp (scuds), trout experience phenomenal growth.  Planted trout can exceed two pounds by the end of their second year.

Tips: As noted above, the shallow waters in the northern section of the lake becomes heated by June and the trout migrate to the deeper and cooler waters in the southern part of the lake, especially around underwater springs.  Eagle Lake is huge and challenging for first time visitors, especially during the early part of summer.  It can also become quite crowded.  If you want to locate traditional popular spots, just look for the flotilla over the springs over by Eagle’s Nest and Wildcat.  When fall arrives, the trout begin to migrate back to the shallow waters of the north end of the lake to bulk up for the winter.

            Bait fishing: Bait fishing from a boat or from the shore typically utilizes a nightcrawler under a slip bobber or an inflated nightcrawler with a sliding sinker.  Popular shore spots are the rock jetty at the Eagle Lake Marina and the shoreline along Highway 139 at the northern end of the lake.

            Fly fishing: Work in and around the tulles with stillwater imitations for leeches and freshwater shrimp in the northern sections as well as the west shoreline south of Spaulding.  Popular patterns include Woolly Buggers and Denny Rickards’ Stillwater Nymph.

            Trolling: During the spring troll slowly with a nightcrawler along the shoreline.  Small lures behind flashers are popular.  Favorite lures include Needlefish, Triple Teasers, and a variety of Rapalas. As the water becomes heated by the summer sun, trollers work their lures down in deeper zones using lead core lines with long leaders or downriggers.         

Closest town or supplies: Spaulding

Contacts: Lassen National Forest (530) 257-2151; BLM (530) 257-0456; Eagle Lake Marina (530) 825-3454; Spaulding Marina and Resort (530) 825-2118; Eagle Lake RV Park (530) 825-3133; Eagle Lake General Store in Spaulding (530) 825-2191

Facilities: Lodge, marina, grocery store, bait and tackle, RV campground

Nearest campgrounds: National Forest Campgrounds: North Eagle Lake, Christie, Merrill, Aspen Grove Walk-In, Eagle.  BLM Campgrounds: Rocky Point-East, Rocky Point-West and primitive, dispersed camping sites.

Boat launches: Eagle Lake Marina (full service) on the southern end of the lake (530) 825-454; Spaulding Track mid-way up the lake on the west shore and Stones Landing at the northern end of the lake.

Mariner’s Resort (public launch facility) (530) 825-3333

Fishing season: Opens on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and closes December 31.      

Favorite lures or bait:

Favorite fly patterns: Denny Rickards, in his book Fly Fishing the West’s Best Trophy Lakes, recommends targeting the shoreline in late fall fishing with his Stillwater Nymph in size 10 when the scuds migrate to the shallows.

Stocking information:

Additional information:

Directions: From Highway 395 continue on Highway 36 to Susanville.  Continue on Highway 36 west to A1/Eagle Lake Road.  Turn north on Eagle Lake Road and drive 18 miles to the lake.