I just fished Baum Lake last saturday. Lots of bugs coming off but the most and biggest fish were caught on a black bead head wooly bugger. Got fish almost every cast from a canoe with the bugger.
Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
Baum Lake is in Shasta county near Burney. The water from the lake actually flows out and eventually becomes the wild section of Hat Creek. The Crystal Lake fish hatchery is there also. The lake has a little current so its kind of like fishing a spring creek. I live up in Cassel part of the year so I fish Baum when the streams are closed. Cassel is in the Burney area as well.
Baum area is a little slice of heaven. A lake with good flow, almost like fishing a big river from a drift boat. Good hatches and good fishing. Also, near the Pit. Lot's of good water in all directions.
It really is a nice place. Its the only place in the immediate area that you can fish year round. The exception would be the Pit below lake Britton which is open all year now. You have to be a stong wader to fish that place though. Most people fish Baum with pontoon boats. I have a canoe up at my house which is only a mile away from the lake. Supposed to be some big browns in there too.
Try Manzanita sometime, it's a nice lake too but all the fish are wild as opposed to planters at Baum. It's just inside the entrance to Lassen Park. A float tube is a must here, not much shore access at all. Use a black bunny leech and strip from the shore out to deeper water. Another good method is to do the same thing with a baetis nymph, cast in close to shore and slowly strip to deeper water.
The Pit can be a scary place to wade. I fished it for the first time this year and heard nothing but horror stories about how difficult it is to wade. We bought Simms studs and screwed then into our boots. Don't even attempt it without a wading staff. If you take your time and wade slow, use the staff correctly, it's not too bad. Of the 3 of us only dunk in 2 days of fishing.
Yeah, Manzanita is awesome. I've fished it from a float tube and canoe as well. I fish it mainly with dry flys. Parachute adams work well but the secret is flying ants during the day. Besides the great fishing for wild fish, you can't beat the view of Lassen Peak from the lake.
