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Fishing Whiskeytown Lake: what the data says
3,220-acre reservoir near Whiskeytown. a clear, deep National Recreation Area reservoir west of Redding, famous for a strong kokanee troll fishery alongside trout and three species of black bass. The lake tops out around 232 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Kokanee fishing at Whiskeytown Lake
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Whiskeytown Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Whiskeytown Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Brown Trout fishing at Whiskeytown Lake
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring brown trout. Best bite is after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Whiskeytown Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Whiskeytown Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spotted Bass fishing at Whiskeytown Lake
Start shallow in spring: spotted bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 15 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 50 ft. Secondary point is the standout, a point at roughly 14 ft, rated prime for spring spotted bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot over brush or a underspin + fluke (schoolers) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 25 to 50 ft | midday | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 212 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 207 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 78 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 41 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 35 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 27 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 24 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 18 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 15 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 14 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 12 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 7 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 7 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Whiskeytown Lake?
Whiskeytown Lake is about 232 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Whiskeytown Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee, spotted bass on Whiskeytown Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Whiskeytown Lake?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Whiskeytown Lake?
For kokanee, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Sacramento River (Redding) · Trinity River · Clear Lake · American River (Lower) · Folsom Lake · San Pablo Bay
See how Whiskeytown Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best smallmouth bass lakes in California · best rainbow trout lakes in California
Browse all California fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.