Stream and lake fishermen can find diverse free public fishing accesses throughout southern Siskiyou County. Lake Siskiyou is surrounded by public land, so access to its shoreline is easy and great scenic views can be found everywhere. Public lands along the shoreline of the McCloud Reservoir, south of the town of McCloud, are found near the boat ramp and on either side of the dam. Medicine Lake, 60 miles east of Mount Shasta, is accessible from the beach area and from the Forest Service campground. Smaller fishable public lakes include Toad, Gumboot, Mumbo, Castle and the small lakes in the Shasta State Wildlife Refuge east of Montague. Small boats on trailers can be launched down ramps at Medicine, McCloud, and Siskiyou Lakes. Stream fishermen will find public access on the McCloud River at two places: around the falls area at Fowlers Campground, and downstream from McCloud Reservoir (between the dam and Nature Conservancy land). The best – world famous – fishing (catch and release) on the Sacramento River is below the Box Canyon Dam, from Cantara all the way downstream past Dunsmuir.
