Manzanita Lake is a little 50 acre lake resting within Mount Lassen National Park. It is open all year, but can ice over during a severe winter. Manzanita is at 5,800 feet and is most accessible by boat or by wading.
At Manzanita, there is a 2-fish, 10 inch maximum (that’s maximum, not minimum) size limit, restricted to artificial lures and single barbless hooks. Most anglers never land a trout exceeding five pounds, but at this lake ten pounders are attainable! Of course, there’s camping in the park, with one campground right near the lake.
Floating tubes, rowboats, canoes, inflatable rafts, and prams are permitted – but no motors. Now, there can be an awesome hatch of midges and mayflies on this tiny lake. Look for mid-June to be the prime time, with quality 12 to 20 inch rainbows and browns a strong possibility.
Fly fishers prefer to work a variety of nymphs and dry flies, many replicating the mayfly nymph at Manzanita. The Hare’s Ear and Pheasant Tail nymph would be solid choices. Wooly Worms and Wooly Boogers also produce, and can be fly-trolled or drifted from the small craft.
Barbless hooks are required on this protected water. Spinning lures are alright as long as they toe have single, barbless hooks. The Phoebe, Kastmaster and Mepps Syclops spoon, as well as the Panther Martin, Mepps and Rooster Tail spinners in 1/16 to 1/4 ounce models are viable selections. Or use a bubble and fly combination.
Trophy trout pushing 5–10 pounds prowl Manzanita’s deeper bowls in spring; work slow intermediate lines with #6–8 olive balanced leeches or black bunny leeches 3–6 feet down along the east and south drop-offs, pausing every few strips to let the fly hover in their face. When post-runoff clarity improves, shift to longer leaders (12–15 feet, 4X–5X) and suspend chironomids 8–10 feet under an indicator over 18–22 feet of water where the thermocline begins to form.
Early May–June sees dense midge hatches 9–11 a.m. and again near dusk; fish #16–20 red or black snow-cone chironomids with silver wire at 7–12 feet under yarn or slip indicators, adjusting every 15 minutes until you match the level of shucks on your net. PMDs and Callibaetis start popping by mid-June around 10 a.m.; a #14–16 Callibaetis spinner or a #16 PMD cripple drifted with slack micro-drag on 5X produces confident head-and-tail takes in the calm lanes.
In July, midge activity shifts earlier (sunrise to 8 a.m.) and later (7–9 p.m.); run tandem chironomid rigs with a heavier size 14 anchor and a size 18 dropper 18 inches below to reach fish hanging at 15–18 feet. During calm, glassy evenings, grease a #16 Callibaetis CDC emerger and fish it static in the film; any dimple should be answered with a low-angle strip set to avoid breaking 5X.
Float tubers should launch from the west shore access and kick quietly to the south and southeast shelves before first light, parking upwind so wind-drift keeps you sliding over the contour. Use a Type II line with 15-foot leaders for balanced leeches or damsels, counting down 8–12 seconds and then retrieving with 4–6 inch pulls punctuated by two-second stalls to keep the fly at mid-depth.
As sun rises, reposition to the center bowl and suspend indicators 12–15 feet down over 20–24 feet, keeping your back to the breeze for a natural chop-induced dance on the flies. If wind stacks, anchor softly with light fins against the breeze and present perpendicular to avoid dragging your indicator sideways.
Deep-water summer tactics revolve around temperature breaks; when the surface is 68–72°F, fish slide to 18–25 feet near the north and east drop-offs. Run a Type III–V full sink with a #10 black/blue balanced leech or dark bruised baitfish pattern, counting down 15–25 seconds and using a slow hand-twist retrieve so the fly just ticks tops of submerged timber.
On blazing afternoons, switch to a booby or FAB on a fast sink to hover 1–2 feet off bottom in 20 feet; use a rhythmic two-strip, pause cadence and watch for line ticks during the pause. If you graph fish mid-column but they refuse, shorten leaders to 5–6 feet to reduce hinge and increase sensitivity.
Shore anglers find best spring and fall access along the east shore trail, the north picnic area, and the small point south of the boat launch; these spots give quick drops to 8–12 feet where cruisers patrol. Cast parallel to shore with a clear intermediate and #12 olive damsel or hares ear, crawling it so slow you can count the pebbles, then add a one-foot lift every 10 seconds to trigger follows.
The west shore near the campground channel holds early-season fish when water warms faster; fish under an indicator with 4–6 feet of depth, swapping to a stripped woolly bugger when wind riffles hide you. In fall, the southwest corner near inflow springs can be hot for browns; drop small balanced leeches on 5X 8–10 feet down and wait out longer pauses.
Early morning spring bites run strongest 30–60 minutes after first light when midges rise and surface is glass; favor quiet presentations and long leaders to avoid spooking shallow cruisers in 4–6 feet. Evenings in summer often outproduce dawn once shade hits the east bank; focus on Callibaetis spinners and slow hand-twist retrieves 1–2 feet under the meniscus.
By September, browns feed aggressively before dusk; swing soft hackles (#12 partridge and orange) on an intermediate at the outer weed edge, using a downstream mend to let the fly flutter broadside. In winter, the midday window (11 a.m.–2 p.m.) matters most; fish slow blood midges under indicators in 6–10 feet where open leads meet ice edges.
Water clarity typically sits at 8–12 feet in spring, stretching to 15+ in calm summer; in high clarity, drop to 5X–6X and favor natural olives, browns, and grays. When algae reduces visibility to 3–5 feet, bump tippet to 3X–4X, add slight flash (holo ribbing) to leeches, and speed up retrieves to push vibration.
For bright, calm days, fish slim, low-sparkle patterns: #16 black chironomid with white bead, #14 unweighted pheasant tail, or #12 olive damsel on long leaders and slow hand-twists. On cloudy or windy days, go with brighter beads, holographic ribs, and small hot spots; a #10 burgundy balanced leech under a chop often gets inhaled.
If whitecaps build, switch to booby flies on a fast sink and short (4–5 foot) leaders to keep flies riding above weeds; use a steady two-strip, one-count pause cadence to maintain trackable tension. During light drizzle, emergers shine—fish a #16 CDC Callibaetis or midge emerger greased to ride low, giving micro twitches to mimic struggling shucks.
Float tubers targeting the 5–10 pound class should carry two rods: one rigged with a Type V for probing 20+ feet, another with an intermediate for shelf work. Rotate through depths every 15 minutes until you contact fish, then mark the count-down and line-type in a notebook to replicate the bite window.
When summer thermoclines set, find 56–60°F bands using a thermometer on a clip; fish just above the break rather than below, as trout will rise to feed but rarely drop through warm layers. If you hit suspended marks on electronics at 18–22 feet, hover there with balanced leeches under indicators and resist the urge to recast frequently—long soaks pay.
Campground anglers benefit from Manzanita Lake Campground’s proximity; walk-in sites near loops C and D put you 3–5 minutes from the west and southwest shoreline with gentle entries for tubes. Bear boxes, potable water, and evening ranger quiet hours make pre-dawn launches easy, and the amphitheater trail doubles as a quick path to evening spinner falls.
Even without a tube, the day-use lot by the north shore provides a short, flat walk to productive indicator water; arrive before sunrise to claim space and keep casts parallel to avoid wading deep. Use collapsible nets and barbless hooks to speed releases per park rules; large trout respond better when kept in the water for quick unpinning.
Photography and wildlife opportunities are excellent—otters, osprey, and occasional bald eagles patrol the lake, and Lassen Peak offers mirror shots in early morning glass. Keep a towel in your float tube to dry hands before handling a camera, and shoot from low angles to capture trout with the volcanic skyline while keeping fish submerged.
When partial ice covers the lake in winter, fish the open leads near inflows and wind-scoured edges, avoiding thick shelf overhangs. Use slow, near-static presentations: blood midges (#16–18) or small balanced leeches (#14) under indicators set 3–6 feet, ticking the fly once every 20–30 seconds.
Ice-out (often March) concentrates fish near the north shallows as water warms first; crawl small black chironomids or midge larvae 12–24 inches off bottom with 6X, keeping rod high to steer around submerged wood. If ice refreezes overnight, shift to midday windows and shorten leaders to reduce ice buildup on guides.
For evening trophy hunts in fall, strip streamers after sunset with intermediate lines and short 4-foot 2X leaders; a #6 black/blue bunny or sculpin with a slow two-strip, one-pause pattern draws big browns from structure. Keep headlamps red-filtered to avoid spooking fish and to preserve your night vision for tracking boils.
Wind lanes that form mid-morning concentrate spent spinners and midges; position your tube upwind and drift broadside, casting into the seam and retrieving just enough to stay tight. If you miss a take, let the fly sit—large trout often circle back within seconds.
Pack a thermometer and note daily: prime bites align when temps swing through 52–60°F; above 66°F, go deeper or stop to protect fish. After cold fronts, clarity can spike; drop fly size one notch and lengthen leaders, as pressured trout slide shallower but remain wary.
For tackle, a 9-foot 6-weight covers wind and indicator work; pair with 10–12 foot 5X leaders for dries and 4X fluorocarbon for leeches and streamers. Carry Type II, III, and V lines to match shelves, mid-depths, and deep bowls; quick-change heads or spare spools save time as conditions shift.
Manzanita Ranger Station, (916)335-4266 or Powell’s Fly Shop, (916)345-3396.
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