Shasta Lake

Shasta Lake is California's largest reservoir and the center of Northern California houseboating. The Forest Service describes a lake of about 29,500 acres with four major arms reached mostly by boat, and it sits inside the Shasta-Trinity National Forest north of Redding. Most boaters come to stay on the water: houseboats, ski and wakeboard boats, pontoons and fishing boats all share the lake.

The four arms

The Sacramento Arm is the busiest and most developed. The McCloud Arm runs east and is known for its early trout hatcheries. The Pit River Arm is the longest, stretching nearly 30 miles, and is where Bridge Bay, described by the Forest Service as the largest inland marina on the West Coast, is located. The Squaw Creek Arm is the most rugged and remote, with limestone formations and gravel beaches that houseboaters favor.

Houseboats and marinas

Houseboating is the signature activity. Forest Service pages list marinas at Jones Valley and Silverthorn (Pit River Arm), Sugarloaf and Antlers (Sacramento Arm), and Bridge Bay, with houseboat rentals, moorage, fuel and supplies. Many visitors rent a houseboat and cruise from cove to cove rather than trailering their own boat.

Public launch ramps

The Forest Service lists seven public ramps: Antlers, Bailey Cove, Centimudi, Hirz Bay, Jones Valley, Packers Bay and Sugarloaf. A daily use fee applies at open public ramps. How many lanes work depends on lake drawdown: the Forest Service posts lane counts by drawdown for each ramp, and at deep drawdown some ramps drop to one or two lanes. Check current lake levels and the ramp pages before you go.

Good to know

Golden, zebra and quagga mussels are prohibited on the lake and at its ramps under a Forest Order, so clean, drain and dry before and after every trip. Driftwood can be heavy, especially after storms and high water. Bears visit houseboats and shoreline camps, so keep food and trash secured.