Lake Shasta’s been on the rise after some heavy rains, jumping nearly 20 feet in just a month. Despite rising water levels, conditions are still good. Guide Jeff Goodwin reports water temps are in the low 50s, which has brought fish feeding closer to the surface—great news for anyone running side planers. Downriggers set at 30-40 feet are still picking up the occasional deeper fish. Spoons are doing most of the heavy lifting right now, along with stick baits. Ideal trolling speeds are in the 2.8-3.2 mph range.

For fly anglers, the brown trout action from shore has been very good lately. If you’re after spotted bass, they’re still biting, but cooler water is slowing things down a bit. Dropshots and small swimbaits fished from the surface down to 30+ feet are your best bet.

Conditions look promising for both browns and rainbows heading into late December and should stay good well into spring.