CDFW Lake Davis Meeting

[Troutstalker55B]

I along with another guide, and a business owner met with a fisheries biologist on Monday in Portola and discussed the management of Lake Davis for a little over 2 hours. As many of you know the catch rates are not like they used to be, and I finally have the answers.

For the last 7 years CDFW had been receiving complaints about the parasites on the fish. They started to manage the lake for quality, not quantity, and that's what we have now, fewer fish but they are big. Besides planting catchable and sub catchable rainbows in low numbers, the department has been putting in huge numbers of fingerlings. Studies in the last 3 years have seen the largemouth bass population explode, and it seems the bass have been eating the fingerlings before they can mature. You can bet I will be focusing on catching bass on the fly this season.

This will be the last year of fingerlings. I do not have permission to post the numbers of fish being planted or the dates. There will be more catchables planted this year than in the past. These fish will be triploids. There are plenty of fertile rainbows, and a few browns in the lake. They are not all triploids. For example right now in a unnamed creek on the west shore there is a good population currently spawning. The department will be managing Lake Davis as they did back from 2001 to 2008, minus the pike situation, and the second treatment.

The rainbows in the lake are a mix of Shasta strain and Eagle Lake strain. Frenchman's is entirely the Eagle Lake strain and will never be managed any other way, no triploids. The fishery there is extremely healthy.

Lake Davis is iced out and the county started to plow the east road this morning. Parking may be an issue, and most likely snowshoes will be needed to reach the lake without postholing. - J.

[OceanSunfish]

This is disappointing. In the mid 90's, J Fair provided me with a little history on Davis Lake.

I was sold on the fingerling approach given how fast the fish grew in just one season given all they had to eat!

At the scoping meeting that led up to the 2nd treatment, I stated that I preferred reintroducing only fingerling Eagle Lake strain trout into the lake. Better yet, ONLY after the lake was able to flush and turn over the water as it most likely has done this Winter.

My views were a 10 year plan to bring the lake back to its original glory. After all, it is a rare and special ecosystem, not the ubiquitous California water storage facility with a put-and-take fishery.

Did DFW provide information on the ability to reduce or rid the lake of the 'ick'? Is it even possible with current water management policies?

[Troutstalker55B]

This is disappointing. In the mid 90's, J Fair provided me with a little history on Davis Lake.

I was sold on the fingerling approach given how fast the fish grew in just one season given all they had to eat!

At the scoping meeting that led up to the 2nd treatment, I stated that I preferred reintroducing only fingerling Eagle Lake strain trout into the lake. Better yet, ONLY after the lake was able to flush and turn over the water as it most likely has done this Winter.

My views were a 10 year plan to bring the lake back to its original glory. After all, it is a rare and special ecosystem, not the ubiquitous California water storage facility with a put-and-take fishery.

Did DFW provide information on the ability to reduce or rid the lake of the 'ick'? Is it even possible with current water management policies?

What is your real name and whom did you represent at the scoping meeting?

After the city of Portola brought a lawsuit to DFW that went to court about the "ick" last summer, it was like beating a dead horse. That was why they went with fingerlings so they would grow in the system and maybe not be affected by the parasite problem.

[OceanSunfish]

I represented myself along with other concerned sport fisherman that took the time to attend the public scoping meeting. It was so long ago........... Many in attendence stood and gave their $.02.

I do remember the State went to extremes to dot the "i's" and cross the "t's" after the first treatment.

I do know I was pro-fingerling program. It made sense, economically, too.

I didn't realize that LMB were reintroduced into the lake.

As an aside, the lake was filled with trout, literally, after the first treatment. That fishery was off the charts from 1998-2001. No ick!

Look, I am super frustrated at what has transpired at that lake over that past two decades. TWO DECADES! Hard to fathom it has been that long. ☹️

BTW, how are the snails faring? I am a big fan of those snails.

[Troutstalker55B]

I represented myself along with other concerned sport fisherman that took the time to attend the public scoping meeting. It was so long ago........... Many in attendence stood and gave their $.02.

I do remember the State went to extremes to dot the "i's" and cross the "t's" after the first treatment.

I do know I was pro-fingerling program. It made sense, economically, too.

I didn't realize that LMB were reintroduced into the lake.

As an aside, the lake was filled with trout, literally, after the first treatment. That fishery was off the charts from 1998-2001. No ick!

Look, I am super frustrated at what has transpired at that lake over that past two decades. TWO DECADES! Hard to fathom it has been that long. ☹️

BTW, how are the snails faring? I am a big fan of those snails.

The LMB have always been in the lake, the percentage of rotenone used did not affect the LMB or the Bullhead catfish.

I was fishing the lake after the first treatment, and yes it was off the charts, all you had to do was hit the water. In the fall of 1998 my dad, a close friend and I released a 163 fish over a two day period. You're right no parasites. They showed up in 2008 after the Department restocked the lake after the second treatment. Do you see the connection there?

The snails are there, I see shells and live specimens from time to time, but nothing like the good old days. Crunchy bellies in fall are a thing of the past.

It's hard to say what will become of Lake Davis, only time will tell, and I'm not getting any younger. - J.

[gene goss]

Thanks for the info Jon, this spring should be interesting looking for a tug in all that new water that we have to play with...... I kind of like those toads AKA (triploids) looking forward to see you again on the lake.

[OceanSunfish]

I feel your pain Jon and even more so.

I know that DFG had reasons to get fish back into the lake quickly, one of which was to not disrupt the food chain for the Osprey and alike. Obviously, they dropped the ball by placing far too many into a habitat that allowed the ick to thrive. And, now the more sensible solution of working with fingerlings is not an option because DFW failed to keep that option open by not considering the LMB population?!?! Stoooopid.

Sorry to hear that snail population is not what it used to be....... The Fall fishing was special. I am hopeful that with the lake at full pool, all the once dry flats and coves will create habitat that will allow the snails to repopulate to their historic levels. I surmise the DFW has no plan to jump start the snail population now that the lake is full pool nor do they have water management priority to keep the lake at a level that would allow the flats/coves to remain watered.