Catfish Season: Catfish Opener is finally here! We’re stocking 1,500 pounds of Channel Catfish from Alpine Fishery. A total of 8,500 pounds of catfish will be stocked this season. With catfish season comes night fishing! The lake will be open on Friday and Saturday until midnight beginning May 24th. 

What’s the Catch? A mixed bag last weekend with a little bit of everything being reeled in from the shoreline and by boat. Reports are that Half Moon Cove is offering the most variety. Bluegills, bass, and catfish were reeled in. Schools of trout are hanging around the entrance to Half Moon and the buoy line at Hermit Cove. Sounds like everything was biting on nightcrawlers last weekend. We also had a report of trout limits in Cloister Cove on powerbait. 

Stock up for catfish opener in the bait shop! We carry a variety of dip baits, mackerel (cutting boards available on the dock!), chicken liver, garlic shrimp and more! Don’t forget to bring your lanterns! Lanterns will be required after sunset. They must be a minimum of 400 lumens, freestanding with 360 degree lighting, and be able to continuously run. Flashlights and headlights do not meet the lantern requirement. 

Conditions: The current water temperature at the surface is around 70 degrees. We’ve begun aerating the lake, so the water temps will start to stabilize throughout the water column. The lake is well oxygenated. The sun is rising at 5:48 a.m. and setting at 7:41 p.m.

Please be aware of exposed and submerged structure while boating and muddy shoreline around the lake. The lake elevation is 677’. The lake draw is complete. It will remain at the current elevation until construction is complete. Check the scope of the project and progress by visiting East County Advanced Water Purification | Helix Water District, CA (hwd.com).