The lake is open to fishing all year. A few redband trout have moved out into the lake. Most are at water quality refuge areas.

Best location to fish for redband trout will be Pelican Bay, Odessa Creek, and Harriman Creek. Yellow perch fishing should be excellent in Pelican Bay, mouth of Williamson River and the mouth of Recreation Creek.

Please remember that nets or traps of any type cannot be used to catch any species of fish. This includes minnows to use for bait. See page 20 of the Sport Fishing Regulations for legal harvest methods for minnows and chubs.

ODFW encourages catch-and-release on this fishery due to record low spawning numbers in 2020 and very low numbers in 2019 and the record setting drought from 2020 thru 2022 which reduced survival. Please fight your fish quickly and then release your fish immediately without removing it from the water. Releasing fish is easier with barbless hooks.

As water temperatures warm please make sure that your catch has swam away strongly and into deeper water. Water temperature at the surface is much higher. White pelicans are waiting for redband trout that have been improperly handled.

The lake is 3.5 feet below full pool and 46 percent full. 

Klamath Lake water levels

Please remember that once you retain your one redband/rainbow trout limit you must stop fishing for redband/rainbow trout. Also, all radio tagged redband trout must be released unharmed. Redband trout will have what looks to be fishing line coming from the abdomen.