What Fish Can You Catch on Shasta Lake?
One of the first questions visiting anglers ask is simple: What can we catch?
For guide Scott Caldwell, the answer depends on the season and the client's goals, but the list of possibilities is long.
"Probably the number one thing that I fish for and fish for year-round are trout," Caldwell says.
Rainbow trout and brown trout have been the backbone of Caldwell's guide service for decades.
"That tends to be what has paid the bills, so to speak," he says.
Trout fishing remains popular because the fish are available throughout the year and often grow larger than anglers expect.
But trout are only part of the story.
"A lot of people fish for bass," Caldwell says. "There's a huge crowd of fishermen that fish for bass. It tends to not be something that I get a huge calling for, but I do it when I'm asked."
Shasta Lake supports healthy populations of spotted bass, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass.
In addition to trout and bass, anglers can target kokanee salmon.
"I have fished a lot more for the kokanee," Caldwell says. "They're landlocked sockeye salmon."
The reservoir also contains king salmon, catfish, crappie, bluegill, and other panfish species.
The abundance of forage helps all of these fish thrive.
"They all kind of eat each other," Caldwell says with a laugh. "There's just massive amounts of food."
For anglers who enjoy keeping fish for the table, trout, kokanee, and salmon are particularly popular.
"Fish eating fish makes the fish taste better," Caldwell says.
One of the advantages of fishing with a guide is flexibility. Some clients want trout. Others want bass. Some simply want to catch fish and enjoy a day on the water.
"Tomorrow I'm taking one of my longtime clients," Caldwell says. "Last year we did trout, but tomorrow he wants to catch bass, so we're going to go focus on bass."
With so many species available throughout the year, Shasta Lake gives anglers plenty of options no matter when they visit.
An abundant forage base helps every species on the lake thrive.