Lake Davis is back, and northern pike aren’t. Because of the absence of the voracious predator, state water officials have decided to allow the lake to fill to its capacity.
The water level of the 4,026-acre impoundment near Portola in Plumas County was lowered in the 1990s to prevent the invasive pike from spilling over the dam during high water, thus entering the Feather River and subsequently the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, threatening salmon and other fish species the state has spent millions to protect.
Officials at what was then called the California Department of Fish and Game said the pike were planted in the lake illegally. In a controversial action at the time, the department used the chemical rotenone to poison all fish in the lake, which was then restocked with rainbow trout.
“Out of an abundance of caution to protect native fish species, DWR [the Department of Water Resources] has kept the reservoir level well below the dam’s natural rim,” the state water agency said in announcing the policy change. “Spills also were avoided to protect a ‘strainer’ at the base of the dam designed to keep northern pike from escaping downstream. Although the strainer structure has not been operating in several years, it was kept in place in case the pike reappeared. DWR now plans to dismantle the device, as it has been causing operational difficulties.” The lake is a popular destination for flyfishing clubs, and it also serves as the source of drinking water for the city of Portola. Pike were first observed in the lake in 1994. The Department of Fish and Game attempted to poison them in 1997. They were rediscovered in the lake in 1999. The treatment was successful in 2007, which is when the lake level was lowered. Monitoring and angler catch tallies in recent years have not recorded any pike.
Jon Baiocchi, a longtime fly-fishing guide at the lake, looks forward to it returning to its former glory as “one of the best trophy trout-fishing areas in the Western United States.” “The pike are gone, and the trout are grazing like cattle in the productive weed beds,” said Nevada City’s Baiocchi on his Baiocchi’s Troutfitters Web site. But, he added, the trout population needs to improve. “Creel surveys are way down,” and “fish are more spread out, mostly because Fish and Wildlife hasn’t kept up with the stocking.”
According to its Web site, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) last planted the lake in June 2016 with “subcatchable” trout, which they define as less than five inches in length, and “fingerlings” that are about seven inches long. While the lake is very fertile and promotes growth, several years will be needed before these become catchable fish.
Completely filling the lake will mean more challenging angling, according to Baiocchi, because there will be fewer weed beds, coves, and points accessible for fly fishing from shore. While the CDFW plans to fill the reservoir completely, Baiocchi said 80 percent of full is ideal for fly fishing.
For more information on the lake, see Baiocchi’s Web site at http://www.baiocchistroutfitters.com.
Nevada’s Pyramid Lake Opens for Limited Recreational Use
After over two months of recovery from extensive flood damage, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe has opened some areas of Pyramid Lake to the public for recreational activities including fishing, boating, camping, and day use. The Tribe has designated the beaches from North Nets to Shot Dog as open to the public. “These particular beaches are accessible by the public,” stated Tribal Chairman Vinton Hawley. “However, caution should be taken when using any of the beach access roads due to damage caused by f looding and ongoing runoff.” The floods and fluctuating water levels and erosion have resulted in new drop-off areas, unstable sand walls, and debris in the beach areas. The depth at the end of the boat docks at Pelican Point is about 3 feet, so boaters will launch at their own risk. The water may not be deep enough to accommodate larger boats.
For updates on conditions at the 125,000-acre lake, visit http://www.pyramidlake.us.
Heritage Trout Challenge Guide
The CDFW has released An Angler’s Guide to the California Heritage Trout Challenge, available as a PDF from its Web site, for those interested in fishing for California’s heritage trout. The guide provides anglers with detailed information on how to complete the Heritage Trout Challenge, including information about where to catch native trout and identification tips.
Created in 2003, the challenge promotes California’s unique opportunity to pursue one of the most diverse assemblages of native trout found in the United States. Over the millennia, 12 unique trout types evolved to inhabit the state’s waters. The program recently reached a milestone when Christy Seifert of Citrus Heights became the three-hundredth angler to complete the challenge.
For information on the program, visit https://land/HTC#38442391-resources.
CDFW’s Fish-Saving Budget
Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed 2017–18 budget earmarks $15.7 million for the CDFW to embark on drought-related initiatives in an effort to keep water in streams. Released at the beginning of 2017, the budget contains funds for the CDFW to continue fish rescue and stressor monitoring, water efficiency programs on department lands, and law enforcement activities, as well as for providing infrastructure to protect salmon.
“Drought response efforts will include the voluntary initiative, which encourages landowners to keep as much water as possible in high-priority spawning streams,” says the budget. “The department also has expedited installation of storage tanks for landowners who would otherwise divert water from streams.”
CDFW’s proposed budget is $586.3 million, which pays for its seven major programs and 2,387 employees, including temporary help. The department budget reflects revenue from 52 sources, and much of it is managed in 25 dedicated accounts, which limits CDFW flexibility for dealing with emerging needs. The proposed budget will be adjusted in May and finalized in July.
The budget proposal contains $250 million for dam removal and other work on the Klamath River and $45 million for restoration and protection efforts on the San Joaquin River.
The department will be watching the Trump administration to determine if its policies have any effect on the $65 million the CDFW receives in five federal trust funds that pay for wildlife and fishery restoration, ocean work, and grants.
Department executives also will be seeking to make up for a reduction in revenue from the lackluster sale of fishing licenses, likely caused by anglers’ inability to fish in rain-swollen rivers and streams. Most anglers buy their licenses at the beginning of the year, but in 2017, this was a period of heavy rainfall and flooding. So far in 2017, the CDFW has sold 49,822 fishing licenses. Over one million were sold in all of 2016. Sales have generated $2.16 million in revenue to date in 2017. There was $44.6 million income from sales in all of 2016.
Court: More Water for Klamath Fish
Coho salmon in the lower Klamath River should thrive as the result of a federal court decision. A U.S. district court in San Francisco in early February ordered federal agencies to take steps to protect the salmon after outbreaks of a deadly parasite.
The Yurok Tribe, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, the Institute for Fisheries Resources, the Klamath Riverkeeper, and the Hoopa Valley Tribe had filed suit to compel the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to manage river flows to protect juvenile salmon. Farmers who make up the Klamath Basin Water Users Association had intervened in the suit on behalf of the federal agencies, in essence to maintain the status quo.
The court’s decision will lead to more protection from disease. “Mismanagement of the Klamath River flows below four major dams led to an outbreak of disease from a parasite called ‘C Shasta’ in more than 90 percent of the sampled juvenile salmon in 2015 and nearly that many in 2014,” said a press release from the legal firm EarthJustice.org. “These fish are central to the cultural identity and survival of tribal nations along the river and commercial fishermen rely on California’s second largest salmon producer for their livelihoods.”
New Wild Trout Waters
Two waters have been added to California’s Wild Trout Program by the state’s Fish and Game Commission. One of them is Mono County’s Hilton Lake #1, also known as Davis Lake. The other is a section of the South Fork of the Smith River. This section stretches from the confluence with Blackhawk Creek upstream to the Inland Lake Train crossing, and includes these tributaries: Buck Creek, Quartz Creek, Eight Mile Creek, Williams Creek, Harrington Creek, and Prescott Fork in Del Norte County.
The South Fork of the Smith was also designated as a Heritage Trout Water, which recognizes the beauty, diversity, historical significance, and special values of California’s native trout.
Game Warden Name Change
In a policy likely to upset some, the governor’s proposed CDFW budget recommends changing the name of game wardens. “Traditionally known as game wardens, the department law enforcement staff will now be called wildlife officers,” says the budget language, adding that the change is part of an effort to make the name more consistent with the department’s new name. Effective January 1, 2013, the department’s name was changed from the California Department of Fish and Game to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Anglers may not notice the difference in the name change, because enabling legislation said it would be implemented only as supplies are used up. Presumably that includes things such as uniforms for the law enforcement personnel.
Get the Lead Out
Pity the poor split shot, if it’s made of lead. In the last day of the Obama administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banned the use of lead for fishing and hunting on its property. USFS Order No. 219 requires “the use of nontoxic ammunition and fishing tackle to the fullest extent practicable for all service lands, water and facilities by January 2022, except as needed for law enforcement and safety uses.” As one might expect, hunting and shooting-sports groups objected and are petitioning the Trump administration to rescind the order. Congressman Jason Smith, R-Salem, is the lead author with 60 other of his colleagues of a bipartisan letter asking the president to take that action. “Rules like this are made simply to appeal to radical environmental groups while slamming recreational pastime enjoyed by generations of hunters and fishermen,” said Smith in the letter.
Nevada Lands Squabble
President Trump has surprised some of his extremist supporters by opposing their desire to transfer ownership of millions of acres of public land in Nevada. In an interview with Field and Stream magazine, Trump said he would not support transferring the land to the State of Nevada or its sale to private owners for mining, energy production, timber, grazing, or development. The federal government owns 93,476 square miles of land in Nevada, which represents 84.5 percent of the state. That proposal to sell was made by presidential hopeful Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who recommended selling off or giving away the state’s national parks, forests, monuments, and other acreage. Five of the six Republicans who were candidates for president also supported the land sale. Jeb Bush, however, said he opposed it. The land sale or transfer proposal mirrors the antigovernment views of Cliven Bundy, who has been indicted for leading an armed standoff against the federal government in 2014 at his Nevada ranch. His sons led a similar standoff in 2016 at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.
“I don’t like the idea because I want to keep the lands great, and you don’t know what the state is going to do,” Trump said in the magazine interview. “I mean, are you going to sell if they get into a little bit of trouble? And I don’t think it’s something that should be sold.”
Suction Dredging Regs
Suction dredging streams for gold by hobbyist and commercial dredgers has long been of concern to fly fishers, as such dredging has the ability to destroy fish habitat and severely disrupt the aquatic food chain. Dredging can also uncover and spread downstream mercury that has been left from the gold-mining heyday in the state.
Environmental groups working on river issues have successfully petitioned the State Water Board to write regulations to protect streams from the water quality impacts caused by dredging. Water Board officials held five hearings around the state and are in the process of crafting these regulations.
There is no firm estimate on when the regulations will be promulgated, but check with the advocates at The Sierra Fund on what’s being proposed and ways to make comments. Contact them at 103 Providence Mine Road, Suite 101, Nevada City, CA 95959; (530) 265-8454;
12-Year-Old Wins Casting Title
Teach a girl to fly cast, and prepare to be shown up for life. The fly-casting coach who taught 12-year-old Maxime McCormick to cast to the rings at the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club ponds knew the day would come when he got outcast. That day almost arrived when McCormick, of San Francisco, become the youngest gold medal winner in the World Championship of Fly Casting, held recently in Estonia. She tied her coach, Chris Korich of Oakland, scoring ahead of 69 of the world’s best fly casters from 15 countries. McCormick’s father, Glenn, won a bronze medal in the event.
Flooding Helps Carmel River
Flooding caused by intense spring runoff in the Carmel River is helping create habitat that will be essential to its recovery as a steelhead stream. That’s the word from Tommy Williams, a fisheries biologist who monitors the rushing, watershed-ripping river in its recovery following the removal of a dam. “It’s kind of messy,” Williams said in an interview with KQED. “But messy is good.” Flows in January were the highest since 1998 and created side channels and back eddies and felled trees in the river that capture gravel, providing spawning areas for federally protected steelhead. This was possible because in 2015, agencies removed the river’s seismically unsound San Clemente Dam. That work also involved rerouting the river’s channel and constructing a long series of step pools to allow steelhead to reach habitat higher in the Carmel’s watershed.
