Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout

The Eagle Lake trout (O.m. aquilarum) is a subspecies of rainbow trout (O. mykiss) native to Eagle Lake and its tributaries, namely Pine Creek, in Lassen County.

Pine Creek is closed to fishing below CA 44.  Above CA 44, it's mostly brookies.  Hence, only reasonable within their native range is Eagle Lake itself.  While Eagle Lake can be fished from the shore, it is best fished afloat.  Typically, the best fishing is during the early mornings and late evenings as the fish tend to go deep when the sun is high.

Challenges

Eagle Lake rainbow trout caught in a select few nearby waters do qualify for the Western Native Trout Challenge.  For the California Heritage Trout Challenge, only catches in Eagle Lake and Pine Creek qualify.