the lake. The Lake Pillsbury Resort operates a marina with rentals, boat slips and supplies. All types of boating are allowed, including boat camping. California Department of Fish and Game stock the lake with trout annually. Other fish include black bass, steelhead, and pikeminnow. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for Lake Pillsbury based on levels of mercury or PCBs found in fish caught from this water body. In 2022, Lake County health officials reported that recent testing found concerning levels of cyanobacteria in Lake Pillsbury. The toxic chemicals sometimes produced by these algal blooms are referred to as “cyanotoxins.” Exposure to these toxins causes sickness and other severe health effects in people, pets, and livestock. Those who plan to recreate in or on Lake Pillsbury should look for informational signs posted throughout the county and avoid contact with water that, looks like spilled green or blue-green paint; has surface scums, mats, or films; has a blue or green crust at the shoreline; is discolored or has green-colored streaks; or has greenish globs suspended in the water beneath the surface. Hiking trails at the lake include an interpretive nature trail at Sunset Campground and the Lake Shore Loop Trail. Other nearby recreational opportunities include the Snow Mountain Wilderness located east of Lake Pillsbury. The Bloody Rock historic area is located within the wildlife refuge north of the lake as well as the Eel River and the Wild and Scenic Black Butte River. Wildlife The tule elk is one of the largest land mammals native to California, with cows weighing up to , and the largest bulls weighing roughly . Hunted to near extinction during the California Gold Rush era, the animals were reintroduced to the Lake Pillsbury Basin in the late 1970s by the California Department of Fish and Game, and the herd has steadily grown, numbering around 80 in 2007. The elk live on the north shore of the lake at the bottom of Hull Mountain, and enjoy wild clovers and grasses, along with the green summer and fall foliage around Lake Pillsbury's edges. Mendocino National Forest and Los Padres National Forest are the only two national forests in California to have tule elk, thought 22 herds are found across the state. There is a ten-day hunting season beginning on the second Wednesday in September each year. See also List