Shasta Lake continues to see the benefits of the abover average water year we are experiencing right now here in the Redding area.  The lakes lowest level this year was around 188' feet below full pool.  Currently the lake is rising and is sitting at about 162' feet below full pool.  Thats an increase of 26' feet since we started getting rain in October this year.  We have a long ways to go, but with our Sierra snow pack sitting well above average already this season, things are looking pretty good for Shasta Lake right now.  Shasta Lake fills primarily with rain water as most of the Mt. Shasta run off flows to the Klamath River Basin to our north.  Shasta Lake still gets a considerable amout of snow melt that goes into the Sacramento, McCloud, and Pit River systems, which does help with water storage in Shasta Lake.  About 90% of Shasta's water comes from rainfall that feeds many of its large and small tributaries.  This drainage is massive in scale and delivers just about all of the water it collects into the confines of Shasta Lakes 365 miles of shoreline.  Its too early to tell if we'll get the rain we need to fill Shasta Lake this year, its got a long way to go.  Even if we get to 50' below full pool, we'll be in great shape, assuming the Gov't water managers take this years drought into consideration and have a plan for some level of conservation in 2022.  Either way, we will be in a great position to offer all of the recreational opportunities Shasta Lake provides during the spring, summer, and fall seasons on the lake.  Fishing, house boating, camping, and watercraft sports were all very good this past summer, even during the second worst drout Shasta Lake has seen in all its years since it was filled in the mid 1940's. 2022 will be no different.

Capt. Jeff Goodwin