May 14-16, 2026 Syskiyou Outing Report
On the weekend of May 14-17, a large group of RRFF members including outing leader Ed Barich, Jenny
Tighe, Chadd Troedel, Gregg Wrisley, Don & Jan Shaw, Jan Whitney, Rick Baker, Gary Hollinger, Jim
Landis, Robin Artegiani, Lynn Hoyer and Jim DeMartini gathered at Lake Siskiyou to chase the trout that
inhabit that region. Lake Siskiyou is a reservoir on the Upper Sacramento River, just off Interstate 5 near
the town of Mt. Shasta. We stayed at the Lake Siskiyou Resort and Campground, a private park that has
plenty of RV and tent camping sites, a boat marina and some great views of the 14,000-foot snow-
covered peak that gives the town its name.
This outing was our second year in a row at this location. We were looking for a repeat of the good trout
action we had on Lake Siskiyou in 2025, but conditions had changed. The unusually warm weather this
spring had caused early runoffs, leaving lower lake inlet flows when we arrived. The planted trout in the
lake were definitely less active this year, although our members were able to catch some at the river
inlet. A side benefit of the warmer lake water temperatures (up to 66F) was that smallmouth bass were
more active in the lake. These “redeyes” were fun to catch on float-n-fly rigs; the smaller fish gave us
great leaps and the larger ones put a big bend in a 5wt fly rod.
As we discovered last year, the Mt. Shasta area can have some heavy winds in May and this year was no
exception. Whitecaps appeared on Lake Siskiyou on Saturday and Sunday, making boating there difficult
at best. Fortunately, the flows in the nearby Upper Sacramento River were less than 600 CFS, providing
us with a great alternative; the planted trout in the Dunsmuir area were cooperative for most of our
members, including Robin who got his first fish on a fly rod. Gregg and I scouted fishing sites on the
lower river where I was able to land a wild rainbow on a trout spey rod – my first fish ever on the Upper
Sac. Rick Baker was successful in his California Heritage Trout Challenge quest by landing a Trout Creek
Redband trout. Lots of personal-bests on this trip.
For our Friday night dinner, we gathered at Don and Jan’s spacious campsite for a potluck that featured
Jan’s delicious chicken cacciatore. On Saturday evening we met at the Black Bear Diner in Mt. Shasta to
trade fish stories and say our final goodbyes, hoping to see everyone here next year. Ed Barich
Tighe, Chadd Troedel, Gregg Wrisley, Don & Jan Shaw, Jan Whitney, Rick Baker, Gary Hollinger, Jim
Landis, Robin Artegiani, Lynn Hoyer and Jim DeMartini gathered at Lake Siskiyou to chase the trout that
inhabit that region. Lake Siskiyou is a reservoir on the Upper Sacramento River, just off Interstate 5 near
the town of Mt. Shasta. We stayed at the Lake Siskiyou Resort and Campground, a private park that has
plenty of RV and tent camping sites, a boat marina and some great views of the 14,000-foot snow-
covered peak that gives the town its name.
This outing was our second year in a row at this location. We were looking for a repeat of the good trout
action we had on Lake Siskiyou in 2025, but conditions had changed. The unusually warm weather this
spring had caused early runoffs, leaving lower lake inlet flows when we arrived. The planted trout in the
lake were definitely less active this year, although our members were able to catch some at the river
inlet. A side benefit of the warmer lake water temperatures (up to 66F) was that smallmouth bass were
more active in the lake. These “redeyes” were fun to catch on float-n-fly rigs; the smaller fish gave us
great leaps and the larger ones put a big bend in a 5wt fly rod.
As we discovered last year, the Mt. Shasta area can have some heavy winds in May and this year was no
exception. Whitecaps appeared on Lake Siskiyou on Saturday and Sunday, making boating there difficult
at best. Fortunately, the flows in the nearby Upper Sacramento River were less than 600 CFS, providing
us with a great alternative; the planted trout in the Dunsmuir area were cooperative for most of our
members, including Robin who got his first fish on a fly rod. Gregg and I scouted fishing sites on the
lower river where I was able to land a wild rainbow on a trout spey rod – my first fish ever on the Upper
Sac. Rick Baker was successful in his California Heritage Trout Challenge quest by landing a Trout Creek
Redband trout. Lots of personal-bests on this trip.
For our Friday night dinner, we gathered at Don and Jan’s spacious campsite for a potluck that featured
Jan’s delicious chicken cacciatore. On Saturday evening we met at the Black Bear Diner in Mt. Shasta to
trade fish stories and say our final goodbyes, hoping to see everyone here next year. Ed Barich
Siskiyou lake - may 15-18, 2025
Fly fishing for trout in the shadow of Mount Shasta, the first time for a club outing at this location. About 15 club members participated with most camping at Lake Siskiyou Resort which provided nearby access to local angling spots:
- Lake Siskiyou
- Upper Sacramento River
- McCloud River and reservoir
- Castle Lake