Jones Valley Campground
Pit River Arm · Shasta-Cascade · 40.7268, -122.1897
The east-side boater's campground: warm water, deep ramps that survive drawdown, and the shortest run to the Pit River arm's fishing.
Quick specs
- Length limit
- 36 ft
- Cell signal
- Boat launch
- Paved multi-lane ramp
- Shade score
- 3/5
- Season
- April through October
- Elevation
- 1,120 ft
| Hookups | Dry Camping (No Hookups) |
|---|---|
| Amenities | Boat Ramp, Dog Friendly, Dump Station, Pull-Through, Flush Toilets |
| Booking | Recreation.gov |
Conditions right now
Lake level, forecast, alerts, fishing and the nearest public camera for Jones Valley Campground. Pulled from state and federal feeds and refreshed every morning.
Updated Aug 29, 12:54 AM PDT
Lake level
992 ft
74.9 ft below full pool
58.4% of capacity
The lake dropped about 4.6 ft over the past week. At 992 ft the Pit River Arm ramp here is well in the water and the courtesy dock should be rigged.
Gage reading for 2026-8-28
Source: California Data Exchange Center, Shasta Dam gage (SHA)
Weather
- OvernightClear61°F
- SaturdaySunny89°F
- Saturday NightClear60°F
- SundaySunny92°F
Clear, with a low around 61. North northeast wind around 3 mph.
Source: National Weather Service
Fire & weather alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts and no CAL FIRE incident within 45 miles as of this morning's check. Fire restrictions can still be in force, so read the forest order before you light anything.
Current Shasta-Trinity fire restrictionsSources: National Weather Service active alerts and CAL FIRE incident feed
Fishing report
Pit River Arm fishing report
Summer pattern on the Pit River Arm. Bass are off the banks and holding on the first drop — points, submerged brush and the shaded side of rock walls hold fish through the middle of the day. Get the topwater work done before the ski boats wake up, then go to a dropshot or a small jig on the same spots. Trollers are running downriggers well below the surface for kokanee and rainbows; the fish are stacked wherever the temperature breaks. The lake is sitting near 992 ft, so shoreline structure that held fish last month may be high and dry now.
- What is biting
- Spotted and smallmouth bass, kokanee, rainbow trout
- Where in the water column
- Bass 15–35 ft on structure, kokanee and trout 45–90 ft on the thermocline
Built from the Shasta Dam water temperature and elevation gages plus seasonal patterns on this arm. Reported 2026-08-29.
Nearest public camera
Fawndale · I-5
About 6.9 mi from the campground — useful for road surface, smoke and haze, not for checking your site.
Local deep dive
Local insider tip
Lower Jones Valley is the last ramp still usable in a low-water September. When the McCloud ramps close, everyone with a boat ends up here.
Access road & clearance
Paved Bear Mountain Road with sustained 7% grades. Cool your brakes at the ramp lot before descending with a boat in tow.
Best loop for big rigs
The upper pull-throughs handle 36 ft comfortably. Trailer-plus-boat combos should drop the boat first, then park.
Nearby things to do & rentals
Sponsored partners
Pit River Arm Fishing Charter
Spotted bass and trout guides launching from Jones Valley.
Book a guideSilverthorn Resort Pizza Barge
Floating pizza and fuel dock — a local institution.
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