Anglers should keep Northern California's gem Lake Siskiyou on their short list of trout destinations in the immediate and near future. Lake Siskiyou is known as a very good trout lake, offering both rainbows and browns. Fishing has recently received a huge boost with bonus plants including many rainbows in the 3 to 9 pound range, offering anglers a solid chance at true trophy sized bows. Lake Siskiyou has also been selected for a stock pen program which will greatly enhance future trout fishing.

As it was necessary to remove the remaining trout from the ponds utilized for this summer's free kids fishing events at the nearby Mt Shasta Fish Hatchery the decision was made to transfer those trout to Lake Siskiyou.  In recent weeks the trout were collected and these bonus stocks including many trophies have been dropped into the lake.  These bonus stocks complemented regularly scheduled stocking visits. More fish equates to more opportunity for catching.

The recently instituted pen stocking program will allow trout to be raised in lake waters before being released.  The pen will be located and maintained at the lake marina. There are many benefits to anglers in that the trout are normally released at a larger size than seen with the normal truck plants. The fish will already be acclimated to the lake environment and  tend to take the appearance and fighting characteristics of native fish.

Lake Siskiyou, formed by the Box Canyon Dam on the Sacramento River is located a short distance from Mt Shasta  and Highway 5 offering breathtaking views of the mountain from many areas of the lake.  A paved ramp offers access for boaters who enjoy trolling the lake. During the winter the access road and ramp is plowed to the waterline and at an elevation of just over 3100 ft. remains open except during the strongest storms. The lake is also very popular for kayaks and canoes as the 10mph lake speed limit promotes relatively quiet waters. There is very good shoreline angling access on the north and east shore of the lake, with a popular hiking trail circling the lake. The Lake Siskiyou Resort is a very popular family camping destination open during the late spring, summer and early fall.

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.