Redding Bass & Trout Fly Fishing Report
Dave Neal of Reel Adventures Guide Service reports on April 22nd, 2025
Shasta Lake & Lower Sac Report
Shasta Lake summed up in one word… FIRE.
Ask me to expand that to two words it would be… On fire. Or, in another language… En fuego.
Springtime is the Prime-Time on Shasta Lake w/ a fly rod and it has been red-hot for bass fishing this season. A full pool adds an extra element to the habitat and structure system.
Water temps have come up through the prime zone this April and fish are very aggressive towards the swimming things now.
We stripped flies for hours this week with just a floating line and variety of baitfish patterns. The chases, eats and commitment level we triggered from fish was spectacular. Really exciting stuff sight casting to fish and watching them follow it and then inhale, or come out of nowhere and absolutely wreck the fly.
Tired of lobbing bobbers and side drifting for trout? Wanna open up that double haul and cast the fly rod for a change? Do you have a saltwater trip coming up and need to ingrain that strip set instinct?! LOL… you KNOW what I’m talking about.
You should be hitting the local lakes and ponds of California for some bass and sunfish action right now. The rewards are worth it. The skillsets carry over. The upper valley lakes are beautiful right now.
The Lower Sac is… well it’s here and there. Some days are decent and some days are just downright lousy. Hate to be a Debbie Downer but that is the honest truth from my perspective.
Bug hatches remain weak, (although we did see some solid #’s of March Browns hatching yesterday) water is a bit “thick” off color, (but green) flows have been anywhere from 4k to 10k this lately…. Seems like some pulse flows happening. I keep hoping for some consistency, but I have not found it. Maybe later in April or May it will turn around?
The good news is that if you are traveling to Redding area or passing through, there are many other options about to hit the radar screen… including Hat Creek, McCloud River, and some smaller less visited streams between those two places that we don’t talk much about.
General Trout Season opens this next Saturday April 26th. With a wet winter behind us and plenty of water… do a little “blue line” sleuthing and go on an adventure to some uncharted territory. It has been a wet winter and spring season is a great time to explore some new water!
*Be cautious of rattlesnakes they are beginning to come out. We are seeing a few while out turkey hunting at the mid elevations – a few 80 degree days will wake em up.
If anyone has any questions feel free to hit me up. I do have a day or two open next week in April along with May 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 28
Have fun, be safe…
David Neal
Reel Adventures Guide Service
Email: reeladventuresgs@charter.net
Web: ReelAdventuresGuideService.com
Social: @ReelAdventures
Mobile: 760-914-0465
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