Lake Davis Trout Restocking Celebration Scheduled May 17

Published on May 16, 2008 - 10:09:25 AM

By: Department of Fish and Game

Thousands of Eagle Lake rainbow trout will be planted into Lake Davis near Portola during the Lake Davis Trout Restocking Celebration on May 17. This event is co-hosted by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and the Plumas National Forest and is part of a program to return Lake Davis to its status as a high-quality trout fishery.

"By planting nearly one million trout in Lake Davis this year, we hope to quickly re-establish Lake Davis as a quality trout lake with some of the best trout fishing in California," said DFG Director Donald Koch.

The event follows joint efforts in September 2007 to successfully eradicate the invasive northern pike that devastated the local economy and had the potential to cause irreversible ecological and economic harm to much of California had the fish spread to other waterways.

"We look forward to the rejuvenation of the lake's reputation as a trophy fishing venue and the sportsman's return to Lake Davis," said City of Portola Mayor Chuck Spencer. "On behalf of the residents of the City of Portola we are happy to have this high profile project behind us. We commend DFG for the work they have done in this hopefully successful Northern Pike Eradication Project at Lake Davis."

The celebration will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Coot Bay along Lake Davis' east shore and will feature a free fishing clinic, informational booths, and children's activities, including a visit from Smokey Bear. A 1,200-gallon aquarium stocked with catchable and trophy trout weighing up to 10-plus pounds will be available for viewing and photographs. Lake Davis is open to fishing year-round to licensed anglers. The Plumas National Forest has many facilities available for recreation year-round.

Thousands of catchable trout will be planted during the event, including 3,000 trophy trout ranging in size from six pounds to 10-plus pounds. Some of the trout will have $10 reward tags that DFG will use to determine catch and growth rates. This will also provide biologists with a way to estimate the number of fish caught from Lake Davis.

"This could easily be the biggest fishing event of the year in California, and we're looking forward to welcoming trout anglers from across the west to come join the fun," said Plumas County Supervisor Bill Powers.

Of the nearly one million trout DFG will stock at the lake in 2008, most are Eagle Lake strain. The huge planting in Lake Davis should make it one of the premier trout fishing reservoirs in California both this year and for years to come. In February, a Bay Area outdoor columnist polled five "expert anglers" who ranked the top northern California fishing spots for the next five years; Lake Davis was cited as the top fishery by two experts and as second by another.

To get to Lake Davis and Grizzly Valley Dam from the east, take Grizzly Road off Highway 70 east of Portola and then turn left at the "Services" sign. From the west, in the City of Portola, turn left off Highway 70 onto West Street, which leads straight to the dam. Honker Cove and Coot Bay are on the east side of Lake Davis a short distance from the dam. From the dam proceed toward Grizzly Road and turn left at the "T," Honker Cove is approximately 0.6 miles away and Coot Bay is 0.3 miles further down the road.

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