The inspiring natural river-like beauty of this mid-size reservoir, located near the Oregon border on the Klamath River, provides excellent opportunities for any level of paddler. Iron Gate Reservoir is located in Siskiyou County in the upper top section of California. The reservoir is downstream of Copco and is faster to reach from Interstate 5. The reservoir provides an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities in a beautiful area, though it rarely gets crowded due to its out of the way location. Improved launching facilities are available and all boating is permitted but limited to a 10 mph speed restriction in most areas.

There is a slight current to contend with when you paddle northeast toward Copco Lake, which is located approximately seven miles east of Iron Gate Reservoir. Iron Gate doesn’t receive a high volume of boat traffic or campers.

Kayak Fishing: For the fisherman Iron Gate Reservoir  is best known for its an abundance of yellow perch, trout, largemouth bass and catfish, but it also hosts a healthy population of native rainbow trout. Other species found in the lake include bluegill and crappie.

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Trolling from your kayak at the upper end of the lake can usually land you a good size rainbow trout in the 1 to 6 pound range. Perch can usually be found in any location throughout the year, but the spring and fall is the ideal time of year to fish or them. The perch are typically in the 5 to 7 inch range, and it isn’t uncommon to catch 20 or more because there are so many of them. The reservoir is visited mainly by local fishermen and boaters.

The Iron Gate Hatchery located on the Klamath River just below the Iron Gate Dam, spawns chinook and coho salmon and steelhead trout. The fish are released in the spring and fall and travel to the ocean. In the fall, 3- to 5-year-old fish make the 190 mile trip back to the hatchery to spawn.