Fish Report for 2-1-2024

Chuck Steen with a nice rainbow trout caught on an Optimizer Jr spoon!
Photo Credit: Jeff Goodwin Guide Services

Shasta Lake Trout Fishing Report

2-1-2024
Jeff Goodwin

Shasta Lake is in its dead of winter pattern but we're seeing some good size trout coming to the net this week.  I've fished all over the lake except the Pit arm and floating debris is definately limiting where we can fish.  The lake is just over 30' from full pool and water temps are hovering around 49-50 degrees.  the water color is a perfect green with a tint of color in most areas of the lake.  The releases from Shasta are ramping up to 15,000 cfs so that should help with the debris fields accumulations.  I've been trolling Trinidad Tackle Optimizers early in the day, and depending on the bite, will either run them all day or will scale down to the Optimizer Jr size spoons.  I've run some Brad's super baits stuffed with tuna but its been a slow bite there so far.  Super bait fishing will get good next month though, I have lots of pics from years past with big browns to prove it!  Anchovies and Shad will also start to play a role in the bites here soon as well.  I like to use triangle flashers in front of the Trinidad Bait Heads which are perfect for anchovies and can be modified for the shad.  This is a very exciting time of the year for me.  I catch some great fish on Shasta year round but Feb-March are my favorite months for the big browns.  The lake loses a lot of the bigger rainbows to the tributaries during their spring spawning period but we still get some big bows some days too.  Late May is when we see the influx of the post spawn adult rainbows trickling back into the lake.  Anyways, I'll be spending some time creating video content this season and will post it on my social media pages and YouTube channel.  I will also continue to report live on the California Sportsmans Radio Show with Sep Hendrickson between 6:00-8:00 am on 1140 AM radio in Sacramento most Saturdays of each month.  This week I'll be live on Shasta Lake at 7:50 am.  More good info to come so stay tuned here  and other places I contribute content for the latest information on fishing Shasta Lake!



Jeff Goodwin is a full time Northern California fishing guide.  He guides year round for salmon, trout, steelhead, Kokanee, and bass on Northern California rivers and lakes. He fishes many bodies of water in the Redding area, but also guides the Sacramento River and Feather River during certain times of the year. Jeff can also be found on the California coast chasing ocean fresh King salmon and steelhead each year. To learn more about the fishing trips Jeff has to offer, please visit Jeff Goodwin's Guide Service.  You can also find him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or please feel free to call him anytime at (707) 616-1905.



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