Fishing is slow and water clarity has improved

Upper Klamath Lake - Klamath Falls, OR (Klamath County)


by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
12-1-2021
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Open all year. Fishing is slow. Water clarity has improved. Calm, warm weather this week should further improve water clarity and thus the fishing. Redband trout are scattered throughout Upper Klamath Lake. Most anglers are fishing with dead minnows from shore in Howard and Shoalwater Bays. Very few redband trout are in the south end of the lake near Link River Dam.

Boat ramps are open. This includes Moore Park, Rocky Point, Wocus (Howard) Bay and Eagle Ridge. 

Hagelstein Park boat ramp, restroom and day use is open. However, the lake level is low therefore getting a boat out of Hagelstein is nearly impossible unless you can pick up the boat. Please remember that nets or traps of any type cannot be used to catch any species of fish. This includes minnows to use for bait. See page 20 of the Sport Fishing Regulations for legal harvest methods for minnows and chubs.

ODFW encourages catch-and-release on this fishery due to record low spawning numbers in 2020 and very low numbers in 2019. Please fight your fish quickly and then release your fish immediately without removing it from the water. Releasing fish is easier with barbless hooks.  

The lake is 4.1 feet below full pool and 39 percent full.

Please remember that once you retain your one redband/rainbow trout limit you must stop fishing for redband/rainbow trout. Also, all radio tagged redband trout must be released unharmed. Redband trout will have what looks to be fishing line coming from the abdomen. These fish will be 6-20 inches long.





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