This popular lake has a little of everything
from calm water to perfect boat-in campsite
settings to spellbinding scenery. There is an
endless intricate network of scenic coves with
beautiful sandy beaches to relax upon. With
nearly 370-miles of
shoreline and numerous boat launches, you can
easily spend several weeks paddling Shasta Lake
and never run out of places to explore.
The lake is the largest man-made lake in
California and the second largest lake in
the entire United States. Shasta Lake is
located in the Shasta-Trinity National
Forest. It is a popular boating destination
in the summer and offers a huge assortment
of aquatic pursuits.
Shoreline camping in one of the numerous
secluded coves, flanked by a heavily
timbered shoreline, is one of the highlights
of this low elevation lake. The shoreline
campsites boast great lake views, shady
sites and plenty of privacy. The area is
rich in wildlife.
The four major arms of Lake Shasta offer
spectacular kayak fishing. Bass and trout
are the main species most frequently caught
by anglers. Shasta Lake also hosts a wide
variety of fish species, which consists of
spotted, large and smallmouth bass, rainbow
and brown trout, king salmon, crappie,
bluegill, and catfish. Shasta Lake provides
habitat for both warm water and cold water
fishes. Warm
water fish species is limited by the lack of
cover, steep-sided banks, a
nd water level
fluctuations.
Late spring and summer are the best times of
the year to paddle here.
