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Shasta Lake Fishing Report | February 25, 2025

Report by Capt. Jeff Goodwin
Jeff Goodwin guides for trout and salmon on Shasta Lake across the Northern California region and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Shop Jeff Goodwin's tackle.
What is working right now

Shasta Lake keeps producing nice rainbows and browns for Jeff Goodwin, with fish high in the water column. Fast-troll spoons and stick baits behind divers and side planers, run clean. Water is a cold 46 to 47 degrees, but a warm week ahead should bump the bite. Keswick and the Sacramento River are fishing very well as flows settle.

What is biting at Shasta Lake right now?

Rainbow and brown trout, primarily. Jeff Goodwin had a pretty good week catching some really nice fish, and expects a nice bump in the bite as warmer weather moves in.

How deep are the Shasta Lake trout in late February?

High in the water column. Jeff is seeing fish up high, so he is running divers and side planers for the most part and only sending bait down here and there because the bait bite has not been on.

What lures are working at Shasta Lake?

Trolling spoons and stick baits are doing the work behind divers and side planers, with a little bait run now and again. Spoons here are a fast-troll, run-clean presentation. The bigger fish especially have kept biting.

How are the rivers fishing?

Very well. Ramped-back flows have created good conditions on Keswick Reservoir and the Sacramento River, and one boat landed 65 fish to the net on a two-day trip. The Sacramento is a catch-and-release rainbow fishery in the Redding area.

Jeff's outlook for Shasta Lake

With a warm-up coming and tons of water in the system, Jeff expects an exceptional year. Cold 46 to 47 degree water has made the bite a little tough, but a few more degrees should turn it up.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Jeff Goodwin): It's wintertime, we're seeing some fish up really high in the water column, so we're using divers and side planers for the most part, trolling spoons, trolling stick baits, running a little bit of bait now and again, but the bait just hasn't been on this week. Our water needs to improve, we need to get a little bit more temperature in the water, it's been in the 40s, like 46, 47 degrees. Even still the fishing's been pretty good, especially for the bigger fish.

Shasta Lake February 25, 2025 FAQ

How deep are the trout at Shasta Lake in late February?

High in the water column. Jeff is running divers and side planers rather than sending bait deep.

What lures work at Shasta Lake right now?

Trolling spoons and stick baits behind divers and side planers. Spoons are a fast-troll, run-clean presentation.

What is the water temperature at Shasta Lake?

A cold 46 to 47 degrees, which has made the bite a bit tough. A warm week ahead should help.

Is the Sacramento River fishing well now?

Yes. Ramped-back flows have Keswick and the Sacramento River fishing very well, with one boat landing 65 fish on a two-day trip.

Is Shasta Lake worth fishing this winter?

Yes, especially for bigger fish. The bite has been pretty good and should improve as the water warms.

Who guides Shasta Lake for Catch America?

Capt. Jeff Goodwin, who reports on Shasta Lake and the Sacramento River system.

Tags: brown trout fishing report rainbow trout Shasta Lake
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Sacramento River Fishing Report | August 1, 2026

Report by Capt. Jeff Goodwin Jeff Goodwin runs Jeff Goodwin Guide Service on the upper Sacramento River and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Reach him at (530) 510-2925 to book a trip. Shop Jeff Goodwin's tackle. What is working right now The upper Sacramento River king salmon season opened August 1, 2026 at the world-famous Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. It was a slow opener with under a dozen fish caught, but Capt. Jeff Goodwin says prime fishing is only 2 to 3 weeks out. His go-to is back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on 10 ounce weights, double-wrapped with fresh sardine and wild prawn. What is biting on the upper Sacramento River right now?King salmon are the target at the Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. August 1, 2026 was the official opener, and Capt. Jeff Goodwin called it a light, slow opener with fewer than a dozen fish caught. His daughter Gracie boxed the first fish. More salmon are arriving as the run builds. What technique is working for Sacramento River king salmon?Back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on the bottom. Jeff runs 10 ounces of weight to reach bottom in the deep water, with 12 to 18 inch droppers and about a 48 inch leader. The lead gets the plugs down where the fish hold since they will not dive that deep alone. How do you wrap plugs for Sacramento River salmon?Double-wrap the plug with fresh sardine and a piece of wild-caught prawn. Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. Start with a loose wrap that keeps the hooks free so you do not tie them to the plug body, then add a couple of wraps on top. More bait draws more bites as long as it does not kill the action. How do you tune a Brad's KillerFish plug?Wrapping bait shifts the center of gravity, so a plug that ran straight can start leaning one way. The fix is the eye: if the plug swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. Test it beside the boat until it dives straight and dances side to side. Out of tune plugs will not get bit. What does massaging the plug mean?It means keeping continuous action on the plug so it never sits dead on the bottom. Pull up on the rod to make the plug dart to one side, then drop the tip so it flutters back. Salmon often hit on that flutter, so be ready for a hard, full-on strike that takes line right away. What is the guide's outlook for the Barge Hole?Jeff says the area is about 2 to 3 weeks out from really good fishing. August, September, and October are the prime months, and a late fall run from November through the end of December produces some of the biggest fish of the season. Eggs, boondogging, and hover fishing come later in the run. Watch the full report From the report (Capt. Jeff Goodwin): One of the favorite techniques for fishing out here in the Barge Hole is to back-bounce Brad's Killerfish. Today, we're using 15s and 16s as far as the size goes. We're running 12 to 18-inch droppers, and then about a 48-inch leader. We're using 10 ounces of weight today because we've got quite a bit of water, and we let out enough line to get down to the bottom. Sacramento River August 1, 2026 FAQ When did the upper Sacramento River salmon season open in 2026?The Barge Hole area opened August 1, 2026. Jeff notes his openers have always been July 16th and August 1st, though an open river does not mean the fishing is great yet. Where is the Barge Hole?On the upper Sacramento River near Anderson and Cottonwood, California, just below where Battle Creek dumps in. Salmon stack here and hold until the first October rains, then turn up Battle Creek to Coleman National Fish Hatchery. What weight do you use to back-bounce at the Barge Hole?Jeff ran 10 ounces of weight on opening day because there was quite a bit of water, letting out enough line to stay on the bottom. What leader and dropper lengths does Jeff Goodwin use?About 12 to 18 inch droppers and roughly a 48 inch leader, sometimes into the 50s. What baits do you wrap on Brad's KillerFish plugs?Fresh sardine and wild-caught prawn are the go-to, and Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. How do you know a plug is tuned correctly?Pull it up toward the bow of the boat. If it stays alongside the boat and dances side to side while diving straight, it is tuned. If it swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. When is the best salmon fishing on the upper Sacramento River?August, September, and October are prime, and a late fall run from November through the end of December brings some of the biggest fish. The opener itself was slow, about 2 to 3 weeks from really good fishing. Who guides the upper Sacramento River Barge Hole?Capt. Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin Guide Service. Call or text (530) 510-2925 to book. Shop the Tackle Brad's KillerFish KF15 Brad's KillerFish KF16 Shop Capt. Jeff Goodwin's Tackle Shop River Salmon Gear

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San Luis Reservoir Fishing Report | July 27, 2026

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