Castle Lake

Special note about Castle Lake

As of August 2013, there is a restriction on overnight camping within one half mile of the lake, except in the Castle Lake Campground.

 The traditional trail to Heart Lake and Little Castle Lake leaves the east end of the parking area and ascends to the divide above the east side of the lake. The west shore of the lake is features a short trail with easy access to the water.

Species present: Rainbow, Brook and Brown Trout. There are also Golden Shiner minnows.

Seasons: Open all year. Bag limit: 5 per day, 10 in possession.

Date of usual ice out: June 1 (5,400' elevation)

Access road: This lake is located in Section 19 and 24, T39N, R5W. Drive to it, about 11 miles from the town of Mt. Shasta, on the paved Castle Lake Road, usually open on Memorial Day.

Camping: A Forest Service campground is about 0.75 miles away. Camping within 200 feet of the water is prohibited. Due to the fragile environment around the lake, camping outside of this zone is discouraged. Camping is also not allowed on private land.

Surface acres: 47 acres and 120' deep.

Comments: This lake offers spectacular scenery and and is popular. Fishing is fair to good for various sizes of trout, particularly in May and June, but there are also the less desirable Golden Shiners. The lake is mostly on National Forest land... about 3 acres are private. Please respect the private owners rights.

The Department of Fish and Game has conducted trout management experiments at Castle Lake since 1938.

At a Glance