Fly fishing adventures in beautiful northeastern California
We specialize in guided trips on world-famous Eagle Lake, where anglers target the lake’s native Eagle Lake trout. We also offer fishing adventures for a variety of species on Lake Almanor and other nearby lakes, rivers, and streams.
For smaller groups, we provide hands-on fishing clinics designed to build skills, confidence, and a deeper connection to the water.
Dean F. Growdon
Dean grew up in Westwood, California, where he spent much of his time exploring the region’s local waters. This corner of California remains close to his heart, and he is passionate about sharing its beauty, traditions, and fishing opportunities with others.
Over the years, Dean has taken part in a wide range of fly fishing courses, including guide school and multiple fly casting programs. He teaches several fly fishing clinics each year and volunteers his time helping Lassen County youth learn fly fishing and fly-tying skills through the local 4-H program. Dean enjoys introducing fellow anglers to the local waters he knows and loves.
Blue Line Fly Fishing
Blue Line Fly Fishing is a Licensed Guide Service that is bonded and insured. Blue Line Fly Fishing operates under Special Use Permits issued by the Lassen National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management.
We feel fortunate to call beautiful northeastern California home, and we look forward to sharing its rivers, trails, and unforgettable fly fishing adventures with you.
Lake Almanor
Lake Almanor is a large reservoir in Plumas County, Northern California, near the town of Chester. Situated at roughly 4,500 feet in the northern Sierra Nevada, it is part of the Feather River watershed. The lake offers year-round opportunities to pursue trophy rainbow trout, brown trout, and smallmouth bass.
Winter
Winter access depends heavily on weather conditions and snow accumulation. Deep-water nymphing with leeches and midges can be productive, particularly near tributaries.
Spring
Lake Almanor comes alive in spring, offering some of the finest fly-fishing opportunities on this world-class lake. Fishing near tributaries with leeches, stoneflies, and midges can be especially productive. As pond smelt move into the shallows, larger fish follow, creating opportunities to target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, and brown trout using a variety of techniques.
Summer
The Hexagenia limbata hatch occurs from June through early July. Effective techniques include deep-water nymphing with an indicator or sinking line, stripping emergers, and fishing dry flies at dusk. We closely monitor water temperatures and stop targeting trout when conditions become too warm for responsible catch-and-release fishing.
Fall
As fall arrives, pond smelt move into the shallows, and trout follow. This seasonal migration creates excellent opportunities to target trout with a variety of minnow patterns.
Eagle Lake
The Eagle Lake trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aquilarum) is a remarkable subspecies of rainbow trout found only in Eagle Lake, nestled in California’s Lassen County. Forged by this unusual environment, it is the only trout capable of thriving in the lake’s alkaline, mineral-rich waters, conditions far too harsh for other trout species.
Fly fishing for Eagle Lake Trout can be both rewarding and technical — these fish are powerful, wary, and often cruise the lake’s unique alkaline waters at varying depths depending on the season. Eagle Lake Trout rely heavily on sight — presentation and subtlety matter.
Winter and spring (the season closes on the last day of February): In the cool, clear water, trout cruise the shallows at depths of 2 to 8 feet.
Summer: Fishing can be excellent during the first few weeks of the season, when some trout still roam the shallows in pursuit of minnows and aquatic insects. As the lake warms, they retreat into deeper water, typically 15 to 30 feet below the surface. By mid to late June, rising water temperatures make responsible catch-and-release fishing inadvisable.
Fall: The fish follow the Tui Chubs into the shallows to feed before winter, and fishing can be excellent!
Custom Build Your Day on the WaterFishing Trips
Boat:
Up to two anglers -$450 per day (8 hours)
Shore:
Up to two anglers- $350 per day (8 hours)
Eagle Lake:
Up to two anglers- $350 per day (8 hours)
Streams and Rivers:
Boat:
Up to two anglers -$450 per day (8 hours)
Shore:
Up to two anglers- $350 per day (8 hours)
Hex Hatch (Boat): June 1st. to July 3rd.
Up to two anglers- $350 per evening (5 hours)
Lake Almanor:
By arrangement
Clinics/Lessons:
Let’s get on the water together and share in the beauty of northeastern California!
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Contact Us
Please reach out with any questions that you have. We love to talk about fly fishing and the opportunities in our region.
(530) 310-3110
705-370 Susan Dr.
Susanville, CA 96130
“This business operates under special use permit with the Lassen National Forest.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that Administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact the USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information is also available in languages other than English.”
Our mission is to provide you with an enjoyable catch-and-release fly-fishing adventure while helping you learn about and preserve the natural beauty of northeastern California.