Hat Creek Fishing Tips

June 1, 2009 1:48 PM

Fishing Hat Creek: where should we go?

Howdy: we're going to be in Lassen Volcanic National Park this weekend from Thursday night through Sunday, and we're going to try fishing Hat Creek while we're there.

We've never been to this area, and we'd welcome input from local anglers on good trails to get away from the (reported) crowds on Upper Hat Creek, or good ways to get away from the more-heavily-fished sections.

We're going to have our four-year-old along, and would like to avoid private fisheries. We're going to be angling from shore, most likely.

posted by scrump to sports, hobbies, & recreation (3 comments total)

Fishsniffer.

I learned to stream fish for trout on Burney Creek, upstream from Burney Falls.
posted by pianomover at 1:54 PM on June 1

Ooh!

I was up there last summer. We pulled in to the Cave Campground (USFS) on one very warm afternoon in the middle of summer. There were two cars there. No crowd a'tall. Plus, it's got some nice spots for sitting and restrooms (pit toilets, actually) as well, so it'd be a good place for the kid. The Cave Campground is right near Subway Cave, on the opposite side of Hwy 89.

The creek is narrow and fairly shallow right there in the campground. There are *some* open spots away from the brush that always catches my line, but the shore is fairly wooded. If you have waders, you'll be better off.

There are lots and lots of little USFS campgrounds right on the creek along that stretch. Go further north than the Hat Creek campground (which is booked up this weekend, according to ReserveAmerica) and you'll start to escape the crowds.
posted by mudpuppie at 3:35 PM on June 1

Forgot to mention, Cave Campground has some wheelchair access fishing -- little boardwalks right on the shore, IIRC -- that would make it more kid-friendly than lots of other places.
posted by mudpuppie at 3:39 PM on June 1