Butte Lake, Snag Lake, and Horseshoe Lake are all popular fishing destinations in the park with populations of rainbow, brown, and brook trout. Kings Creek and Grassy Swale Creek both have populations of brook trout as well. The most popular fishing lake in the park, however, is Manzanita Lake. This lake holds a fair number of rainbow and brown trout and is rated as a blue ribbon fly fishery by the state of California Department of Fish and Game. It is managed as a catch and release fishery with only single barbless hooks allowed. No bait such as worms, salmon eggs or powerbait may be used. This lake is nationally known for its fly fishing opportunities.

Six amphibian and six reptile species inhabit Lassen Volcanic National Park. They are often considered together because both are poikilotherms, animals that lack the ability to generate their own body heat, relying instead on their environment to regulate body temperature. Amphibians spend the early part of their life cycle in water as larva before metamorphosing into adults that live on land. Toads are a good example. As tadpoles, they are restricted to aquatic environments, but spend almost all of their time on land as adults. In contrast, reptiles are generally terrestrial throughout their life cycle. Amphibians are also characterized by moist, highly vascularized skin while reptiles are typically covered by scales.

In marked contrast to the amphibian’s preference for moist, damp habitats, reptiles prefer dry, rocky places. Lassen’s reptile fauna can be divided into two groups - lizards, and snakes. The three lizard and four snake species are seen at varying degrees of frequency.

The four snake species that are known to occur in the park are the rubber boa, Western terrestrial garter snake, common garter snake, and the striped whipsnake. Very little is known about the reptiles in Lassen Volcanic National Park and more research is needed to learn more about the habits and number of reptile species that occur in the park.

Credits and Sources:

“Lassen Volcanic: Fish,” National Park System, http://www.nps.gov/lavo/learn/nature/fish.htm, Accessed June 29, 2015.

“Lassen Volcanic: Amphibians,” National Park System, http://www.nps.gov/lavo/learn/nature/amphibians.htm, Accessed June 29, 2015.

“Lassen Volcanic: Reptiles,” National Park System, http://www.nps.gov/lavo/learn/nature/reptiles.htm, Accessed June 29, 2015.