Baum Lake has always been one of my favorite spots for winter trout fishing and yesterday did not disappoint producing a couple of nice brown trout on Panther Martin spinners. While this lake can see a lot of activity on weekends, the weekdays are usually uncrowded, as it was yesterday. At a little over an hour from Redding, it is an easy and enjoyable drive for a quick couple of hours of fishing.

Baum is very popular with fly anglers and the few on the water were having success with small nymphs under an indicator.  Around two in the afternoon some switched to dries as the trout began actively feeding, dimpling the surface.

While the nearby creeks and adjacent Crystal Lake are closed to angling being subject to the general trout season regulations, Baum remains open year round. The Crystal Lake Fish Hatchery, also adjacent to Baum Lake, releases good numbers of brown trout into the lake during the winter months providing a great winter fishery. While fly anglers here usually  practice catch and release methods, Baum is managed as a put and take lake with many generous plants of  rainbows and browns throughout the year, and is open to all manner of angling. Many anglers use worms, salmon eggs and crickets as well as Powerbait. Tossing spinners and spoons can  be very productive as well.

Gary Heffley has been a valued contributor to MyOutdoorBuddy for over 10 years serving as manager, sales representative and reporter for much of Northern California. He is an avid outdoorsman and loves to fish and write about his adventures. He has a long history in the Sporting Goods field and uses that extensive experience to impart his wisdom in his writing.