Significance
Shasta Lake is one of the biggest recreational areas in California. When the lake is full, there are more miles of coastline along Shasta Lake's banks than along the coast of San Francisco Bay.
Fishing at Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake has warm-water and cold-water fish populations. Visitors catch rainbow trout, chinook salmon, brown trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, black crappie, carp, bluegill, Sacramento sucker, riffle sculpin, Sacramento squawfish, black fish, white sturgeon, hardhead minnow, channel squawfish, white catfish, threadfin shad, brown bullhead, green sunfish and golden shiner.
Camping at Shasta Lake
The Shasta-Trinity National Forest has public and private campgrounds throughout the mountains and along the coast of Lake Shasta. Primitive U.S. Forest Service campgrounds can be reserved online, and private campgrounds feature cabins, yurts and tent camping.
Shasta Lake Trails
There are several hiking and mountain biking trails throughout the area. The Clikapudi Trail is eight miles and begins and ends near the Jones Lake boat ramp. Trails.com has maps, as does the forest service and the Shasta Lake visitor's center.
The Sundial Bridge
Just a 15-minute drive from Shasta Lake or an upstream paddle along the Sacramento River sits the Sundial Bridge. A technological marvel, it is the biggest sundial in the USA. Visitors can look through the glass bottom of the bridge at the raging river below. Turtle bay offers free parking, and there's no fee for visiting the bridge.
Shasta Lake Boat Rentals
Many visitors to Shasta Lake stay on houseboats, but there are also services renting personal watercraft such as kayaks, paddle boats, canoes, row boats and fishing boats.
