When I first moved to California in fall 1977, I camped at Lakehead on Lake Shasta. I was surprised to only find the Sacramento River. I got the same view on a recent visit (Figures 1 and 2). No black bass or channel catfish, and few trout. The lake is down nearly 200 feet from when it last filled in spring 2019 (Figure 3). Storage is at 25% capacity (Figure 4). Flows were high from recent storms. The “river” was cutting into decades of deposited sediment, making what remained of the lake very turbid. Not the greatest conditions for my favorite fall fishery for spotted bass and trout.

Figure 1. Mid-November 2021 photo of Sacramento River arm of Lake Shasta. Note river cutting through historic lake sediments.

Figure 2. Mid-November 2021 photo of Sacramento River arm of Lake Shasta. Note “cuts” in lake sediment and turbid water.

Figure 3. Water surface elevation in Lake Shasta 2019-2021.

Figure 4. Current and historical water-year conditions for Lake Shasta storage.