Lake Manzanita/Lassen VNP

M_D

M_D

Bringin' the Skunk
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The wife and I will be down at Lassen next week, staying at Lake Manzanita campground. I'm bringing some gear and planning to kick around the lake once or twice.

The NP website indicates fishing is decent but does anyone have intel or experience they're willing to share? Like is it worth a 7 day out a state license? Or anything else you might think is useful?

And equally important…any NFR recommendations or gotta see’s?
 
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I don't think you need an out of state license for the NP, but I could very well be wrong.

Manzanita Lake is rad. Bring damselflies, both nymphs and dries. I once saw a pretty decent brown throwing itself out of the water in to some vegetation to knock adult damsels in to the water; it would circle back around and eat them. It was so cool to see.

Most of the fish I've gotten there have either been on a midge under an indicator or on various callibaetis dries or emergers. I yanked a damsel dry out of the mouth of an enormous brown once, and I think it will haunt me forever. There is a shallow area by the boat launch that consistently has cruising fish, that's a great place to start.

Even if the fishing is off, you're still sitting in the shadow of a volcano that erupted a little over 100 years ago. It's insanely beautiful.

Bumpass Hell on the Hat Creek headwaters are NFR musts. Have fun!
 
Thanks Travis. 👍

I’m pretty excited for the road trip. So far Bumpass Hell trail is showing as being closed due to snow but lots can change in a week….and even if it doesn’t….like you pointed out….we’ll be chilling in a beautiful area
😎
 
mcswny said:
There’s SO much fishing in the area. I’m happy to pm ya.

NFR, check out the subway caves!
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Thanks for the offer but if I take you up on it, I'd probably get divorced ;).

If I'm smart, an hour or two at the lake a couple times during the week will have to suffice.

We'll definitely check out the caves tho (y)
 
The Fly Shop in Redding, CA has weekly updated fishing reports, the below is from May 27, 2025

Manzanita Lake Report​

Updated: ​

Report: Some recent reports have the fishing pretty good so far, you can find fish cruising the shallows eating emerging Callibaetis and Damselflies. Fish the Zack Attack Damsel on a floating or intermediate sinking line, dredge the deeper parts of the lake with these as well. Some good Callibaetis emerger flies are ZT's Zallibaetis or a Pheasant Tail in #14 - 16, and for stillborn insects you can fish Morrish May Day, CDC Biot Spnner or Qugley's Fim Critic in #16. Water Boatmen will be a thing as the lake warms this month. And always bring your stillwater assortment to include midge pupae and mayfly nymphs.

Hot Flies:

Dry Flies:
• Harrop's Last Chance - #16-20
• Adams - #14-18
• Mayfly Cripple - #18
• Last Chance Cripple - Callibaetis or Baetis
• Mercer's Missing Link - #14-16
• Mercer's Parachute Profile Spinner

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• Zack's Attack Damsel
• Burk's Sierra Damsel
• Zack's Bomb Squad. - #14-16
• Hogan's S&M - Olive #16-18
• Beaded Zebra Midge - Black #18-20
• Mercer's Gidgets

Streamers & Leeches:
• Beaded Micro Bugger - Black
• Zonkers - #4
• Beaded Micro Buggers - Any
 
GLC said:
The Fly Shop in Redding, CA has weekly updated fishing reports, the below is from May 27, 2025

Manzanita Lake Report​

Updated: ​

Report: Some recent reports have the fishing pretty good so far, you can find fish cruising the shallows eating emerging Callibaetis and Damselflies. Fish the Zack Attack Damsel on a floating or intermediate sinking line, dredge the deeper parts of the lake with these as well. Some good Callibaetis emerger flies are ZT's Zallibaetis or a Pheasant Tail in #14 - 16, and for stillborn insects you can fish Morrish May Day, CDC Biot Spnner or Qugley's Fim Critic in #16. Water Boatmen will be a thing as the lake warms this month. And always bring your stillwater assortment to include midge pupae and mayfly nymphs.

Hot Flies:

Dry Flies:
• Harrop's Last Chance - #16-20
• Adams - #14-18
• Mayfly Cripple - #18
• Last Chance Cripple - Callibaetis or Baetis
• Mercer's Missing Link - #14-16
• Mercer's Parachute Profile Spinner

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• Zack's Attack Damsel
• Burk's Sierra Damsel
• Zack's Bomb Squad. - #14-16
• Hogan's S&M - Olive #16-18
• Beaded Zebra Midge - Black #18-20
• Mercer's Gidgets

Streamers & Leeches:
• Beaded Micro Bugger - Black
• Zonkers - #4
• Beaded Micro Buggers - Any
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Wow….thank you 👍
 
I used to fish Manzanita often. The two flies that are an absolute must have are calibaetis nymph and dry. A friend that lived in Shingletown was so enamored with Manzanita Lake calibaetis that he named his dog after the mayfly
 
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where I first learned to fly fish in the early 80's (thank you Dr. Eugene Mendoza)....the Redding Fly Shop (great shop) covers it well...the evening Boatman hatch can be major fun just before dark
 
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NCL said:
I used to fish Manzanita often. The two flies that are an absolute must have are calibaetis nymph and dry. A friend that lived in Shingletown was so enamored with Manzanita Lake calibaetis that he named his dog after the mayfly
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Calvin Baetis? Who's a good boy!?!?!
 
I only fished it a couple times but it was awesome....in a tube, casting toward the bank and watching trout in that clear water cruising and sipping Callibaetis. I think it was the second time i went back armed with my most realistic Iwamasa-style duns and spinners. I don't think I caught a bunch and nothing really big but it was super enjoyable fishing!
 
good call,
Westfly Refugee said:
.in a tube, casting toward the bank and watching trout in that clear water cruising and sipping Callibaetis.
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x2, spent many an hour doing just that. When the hatch was off would kick troll the mid lake weedbed's with a leech pattern on the end of an intermediate line and long leader, tagging the occasional big brown. Manzanita Lake is pretty much the perfect float tube/oar pram lake, and the whole park is a gem. A mid day fave for the kids was the easy hike to Bathtub Lake for a warm water plunge. My wife's fave was the more strenuous hike up to Lassen Peak.
 
.....finally getting around to saying Thanks to all who shared some info. (y)

Think I got 2 hours on Butte Lake and maybe 3 on Manzanita.

Butte was perfect after an early morning grind up Cinder Cone
IMG_E8593.JPG

I had the lake to myself and happened upon a calibaetis hatch. Although the fish weren't huge but they sure had big attitudes :cool:

I fished Manzanita one mid week morning and it was still waaay busier than Butte. The weekend was uber busy and I think there were 12 or more people on the water with me Wednesday and only one or two bent poles most of the morning. Still, it was a treat to get on the water.

IMG_E8585.JPG
(evening pic...not fishing morn)

After a fruitless couple hours of throwing every calibaetis pattern I had, I switched to full sink and my trusty orangy-brown leech/crayfish pattern and got into a nice little brown and this beauty of a rainbow just before the agreed upon quitting time.

IMG_E8629.JPG

All in all it was a fine trip....got my old man hiking on...saw some awesome stuff, learned a bit, watched Mt. Lassen get whacked by lightning 3 times, and caught a few fish.....well worth the price of an outa state license.(y)

Plus, there were a couple Lucha Libre fans in the campground so I had to smile whenever I passed by....thinking of Travis B's by line...."I will break your back, with my knee....like so"

:)
 

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M_D said:
.....finally getting around to saying Thanks to all who shared some info. (y)

Think I got 2 hours on Butte Lake and maybe 3 on Manzanita.

Butte was perfect after an early morning grind up Cinder Cone
View attachment 157611

I had the lake to myself and happened upon a calibaetis hatch. Although the fish weren't huge but they sure had big attitudes :cool:

I fished Manzanita one mid week morning and it was still waaay busier than Butte. The weekend was uber busy and I think there were 12 or more people on the water with me Wednesday and only one or two bent poles most of the morning. Still, it was a treat to get on the water.

View attachment 157612
(evening pic...not fishing morn)

After a fruitless couple hours of throwing every calibaetis pattern I had, I switched to full sink and my trusty orangy-brown leech/crayfish pattern and got into a nice little brown and this beauty of a rainbow just before the agreed upon quitting time.

View attachment 157613

All in all it was a fine trip....got my old man hiking on...saw some awesome stuff, learned a bit, watched Mt. Lassen get whacked by lightning 3 times, and caught a few fish.....well worth the price of an outa state license.(y)

Plus, there were a couple Lucha Libre fans in the campground so I had to smile whenever I passed by....thinking of Travis B's by line...."I will break your back, with my knee....like so"

:)
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Sorry the fishing wasn't super hot, but it sure is a great place to be! That second picture, Manzanita with Lassen in the background..... I was fishing those submerged bushes from a paddleboard and this 2 foot brown came swimming around. I threw out an adult damsel and watched this thing torpedo towards it, come up, open up, and then I yanked the fly right out of it's mouth. God was that painful.

It broke my back, like so, and my spirits!

Super glad you had a good trip!!
 
Travis Bille said:
Sorry the fishing wasn't super hot, but it sure is a great place to be! That second picture, Manzanita with Lassen in the background..... I was fishing those submerged bushes from a paddleboard and this 2 foot brown came swimming around. I threw out an adult damsel and watched this thing torpedo towards it, come up, open up, and then I yanked the fly right out of it's mouth. God was that painful.

It broke my back, like so, and my spirits!

Super glad you had a good trip!!
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Isn’t it interesting, the things we do when the adrenaline starts to flow?

Like set the hook before the fish closes it’s mouth….or completely flub a normally easy cast when you’re sighting casting to a beauty of a fish 🙄

and no apologies needed cuz it was crowded or the fishing was slow. It was all good…. I got to fish in a National Park. The scenery was great. Fishing was challenging and I ended up feeling pretty smug that I kinda figured it out. Good memories were made 👍
 
Robert Engleheart said:
So much good water in NorCA.
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spent time every year for several decades before moving full time to Oregon (2006) exploring and fishing waters east of Lassen all the way to the Nevada border, and asides from the well known's waters such as Hat Creek, Fall River, the Pit, etc, there are some off the beaten track that offer up excellent fishing in at times complete solitude. And fishing the Hex hatch on the Fall River during summer evenings has to be experienced to be believed, when trophy trout attack in a frenzy.
 
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