FLY AWAY TO EAGLE

Beautiful rainbows like this 5-plus-pound, 25-inch trout are a reality at Eagle Lake during the fall. This month and next are a great time to head to this remote mountain water near Susanville for big, hungry fish. (CAL KELLOGG)

BRAVE FALL COLD FOR BIG EAGLE ’BOWS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA LAKE IS A FALL HOTSPOT FOR HUNGRY FISH

By Cal Kellogg

The Lassen County cold was bone-chilling – 22 degrees when I launched the kayak. Now, three hours later it was still below freezing. I knew because the forward hatch of my Hobie was dotted with splotches of ice, formed almost instantly from water flung off the landing net.

The adrenaline of landing trout after trout to about 4 pounds made me immune to the cold. I was pulling a small orange trolling fly 12 feet deep on a hybrid leadcore rig at 2 mph.

The trout were holding 15 to 18 feet down close to shore. As I peddled out of deep water directly at the shoreline, I turned hard to port when I saw the bottom coming up and eased into the zone. Pedal, pedal, pedal; it wouldn’t be long. The first arch appeared on the sonar screen, then two more and another.

The tip on the yellow leadcore rod dipped violently and instantly snapped back straight. Swing and a miss. A nanosecond later the trout was back and this time the hook sunk home. The rod drew down into a hard arch and vibrated with the trout’s staccato headshakes.

I had a hard time wrenching the rod out of the holder, but I got it free and started working the reel as I pedaled for open water.

After the initial violence the trout calmed down and started swimming toward the kayak. It was like leading a big dog on a leash. I didn’t think the compliance would last long. The linecounter reel counted down, 21 feet, 20, 19, 18 …

Boom! The fish went nuts as if a switch had been thrown. It dogged down and away for a beat and then went airborne. When it splashed down, I dipped the rod tip and cranked. My goal was to get the fish down below the surface and prevent more wild jumps and the tactic worked.

The big ’bow crash-dived spinning line off the reel and then made several short runs punctuated with hard rod-surging head shakes. I could feel the fish weakening, but it was determined to stay deep and bulldog.

I stayed on the pedals to maintain forward momentum and worked the reel, smoothly gaining line whenever the trout allowed. When the fish materialized, it was spent. I laid it out, lifted the head and scooped it into the net.

The rainbow weighed 5.6 pounds and measured 25 inches long. It would yield two blood-red filets and some world-class meals!

This big Eagle Lake rainbow was holding 9 feet deep just off the shoreline when it blitzed an orange trolling fly pulled on a hybrid leadcore rig. Kellogg uses a variety of lures while trolling Eagle Lake in the fall, but his hands-down favorite offering is a trolling fly (inset). (CAL KELLOGG)

THAT’S WHAT FISHING EAGLE Lake in

heavy, hard-charging rainbows that are renown for both their fighting ability and the outstanding table fare they provide.

For the uninitiated, Eagle Lake is located in Lassen County, roughly 16 miles from Susanville. The lake is unique; it sits in a closed basin and has one major tributary, Pine Creek, and no natural outlet. Water level has been a factor at the lake in recent years, having dropped from an alltime high of 29,000 surface acres to about 26,000 surface acres presently.

Situated at 5,100 feet, Eagle straddles the northern Sierra, southern Cascades and the Great Basin. The west side of the lake is dominated by evergreen trees common to the Cascades and Sierra, while the east side features the sage-covered hills and rock formations of the Great Basin.

In this remote section of California, wildlife prospers and visitors regularly

Coldconditions,overcastskiesandahugerainbow. ThisishowCalKelloggendedhisseasonatEagle LakeinNovember2021.Dresswarm,asitcanget bitterlychillyherethistimeofyear. (CALKELLOGG)

come across mule deer and coyotes, along with a long list of bird species, including golden eagles, bald eagles, ospreys and other birds of prey, ducks, geese, loons, grebes and grackles, plus huge white American pelicans.

Eagle Lake’s water features a high level of alkalinity and its rainbows are uniquely adapted to tolerate it. The trout grow quickly and by 3 years of age, they average 18 inches, and fish to 11 years old have been documented. A generation ago the lake produced rainbows in excess of 10 pounds, but these days a 6-pounder is a monster and anything beyond 4 is an achievement.

The rainbows have access to a broad spectrum of plentiful prey. Tui chubs are a favorite, but there are other minnow species in the mix too, along with various aquatic insects, shrimp and snails.

TROUT FISHING KICKS OFF at Eagle on

Memorial Day Weekend and extends through the last day of February. The limit is two trout per day and four in possession.

The trout are ready strikers and for the most part good fishing can be had throughout the spring and summer, but things really start to get exciting when September gives way to October.

October, November and at times the first week or two of December provide phenomenal action. At this time of the year, the largest trout in the lake emerge from their summer haunts and cruise shallow nearshore waters, feeding heavily in preparation for the lean winter months.

In the fall, trollers, bait anglers, shore anglers and fly guys all enjoy epic action on fish that average 2-plus pounds and range up to and beyond the 5-pound threshold.

There was a time when I fished Eagle during the spring, but these days I make one or two pilgrimages to the lake in the fall. My preferred approach is trolling from a pedal kayak. At times the kayak gives me an edge over boaters, but I mainly favor the kayak for its quiet simplicity.

My No. 1 offering is a trolling fly, usually presented in the top 15 feet with a hybrid leadcore rig. I’ve also had great luck on 2- to -3-inch grubs and various spoons. As I said, the rainbows are biters, so generally once you locate the trout, lure selection

Kellogg strains against the weight of a big Eagle Lake rainbow trout that slammed a trolling fly during a November kayak fishing adventure. “If you visit in November and see a guy on the troll in a big Hobie Pro Angler, it might just be me,” he writes. (CAL KELLOGG)

isn’t crucial. Natural-colored lures often work well, but I wouldn’t think of visiting the lake without plenty of orange in my tackle kit.

Bait anglers fishing from either boat or bank score well with nightcrawlers, typically drifted naturally under slip bobbers set anywhere from 3 to 12 feet deep. For fishing off the bottom, some anglers run with inflated ’crawlers, while others toss PowerBait with success.

Fly anglers also fish out of boats and off the bank. The most hardcore often use a boat to access a remote stretch of shoreline, beach their boat and then wade the shallows. All manner of tui-chub-imitating streamers work when stripped slowly, both along the bottom and in the middle of the water column.

On days when the trout turn their noses up at streamers, nymph and shrimp imitations methodically drifted under strike indicators get the nod, but it’s the rare fall day when you can’t find an Eagle Lake rainbow willing to blitz a streamer.

WHILE THE AREA SURROUNDING Eagle

features several campgrounds, most of them close in October. There are lots of nearby national forest lands where you can camp, and both a private campground and rental cabins are available.

Worst-case scenario, you can post up in a hotel in Susanville and make the drive to the lake each day. I’ve spent my share of subfreezing nights in tents, so I generally opt to stay in town, where I can enjoy hot food, hot showers and a warm bed!

When you fish Eagle Lake in the fall you must be prepared for cold conditions, plus snow can move in at times. Morning temperatures in the teens are common and it can stay at or below freezing for much of the day.

Good gear will ensure your comfort, but it’s important to be vigilant on the launch ramp and in parking lots, since slippery ice can form anywhere. You’ve also got to focus on safety out on the water, especially if you are fishing from a kayak or small boat. When the air temp is in the 20s and the water is in the 40s, your shelf life won’t amount to much if you go for a dip.

But if you love trout fishing and are the type of angler who wants an apex fishing experience, put Eagle on your fall fishing calendar this year and thank me later for this cathedral for trout anglers. If you visit in November and see a guy on the troll in a big Hobie Pro Angler, it might just be me! CS

Editor’s note: Cal Kellogg is a longtime Northern California outdoors writer. Subscribe to his YouTube channel Fish Hunt Shoot Productions at youtube.com/user/ KelloggOutdoors.