Current Reservoir Conditions:
Anglers looking for a unique, uncrowded experience should consider at least a partial day of fishing on Keswick. Water conditions can and will fluctuate and sometimes the bite can be off due to erratic releases out of Shasta Dam. It's a busy time of year at The Fly Shop, and with steelhead on the brain, we haven't been fishing on Keswick in the past couple weeks. The rainbow trout are there!

It can be busy on the Lower Sacramento at this time of year. Keswick Reservoir can provide the solitude and fly fishing you hoped for. We recommend hiring an experience guide to get the best out of your Keswick experience.

Keswick Reservoir is a "stabilization area" below Shasta Dam. The upper part of this reservoir flows like a river. The lower section before it empties into what we know as the Lower Sacramento River is smooth, slow water. Rainbow and brown trout hold in the upper section and bass can be found in the lower section.

The Fly Shop's ? Tips:
A motorized boat is a must for gaining access to the part of this reservoir that holds concentrated numbers of rainbow trout. Look for slow water, near boulders. Swing, suspend, strip nymphs, leeches. Dry fly fishing happens late in the summer, near sunset.

Still Water Fact:
Iron Mountain Mine is located just to the west of Keswick Reservoir. The site was mined for copper, zinc, iron, silver, gold, pyrite from the 1860s to 1963. Today, the mine is a source of extremely acidic drainage that runs into several creeks, all leading to Spring Creek Reservoir, which drains into Keswick Reservoir, a major source of drinking water for Redding, CA. The drainage water from Iron Mountain Mine is classified as the most acidic water naturally found on earth. One of America's most toxic waste sites, it has been listed as a federal Superfund site since 1983. Thankfully, a water treatment plant is in place, and any releases from Spring Creek Reservoir are easily diluted.

Flies:

Dries:
• Elk Hair Caddis Tan #10-16
• Yellow Stimulator #14-16

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• Glo Bubble Caddis
• Chironomid Bomber (Any)
• Marlee Midge
• Brown Micro Mayfly #16
• Pats Brown Rubber Legs #6-8
• Fox's Cinnamon Poopah #12-14
• Brown Micro Mayfly #16
• CB Birds Nest #10-14

Streamers/Leeches:
• Double Bunny
• Zonker Natural
• Halebopp Leech Olive/Dark Olive