NOTABLE CATCHES:

Jenny Fonseca, Rancho Bernardo – 4.9# trout on a Night Crawler near Hidden Bay

FISHING TIPS:

The fishing improved this week, it is slow in the mornings but the bite improves in the afternoon. A lot of the trout being caught are in the 2.5-4 pound range. The shoreline is open for fishing in the curtain area. The water continues to be murky as a result of the recent storms. Best bait is Night Crawlers and best lures are Rapalas. The catfish bite is good along the Log Boom. The bass bite is improving with a lot of bass moving around along the shorelines. The water is now at 59 degrees. The bluegill bite is still slow.

FISH STOCK:

LAST STOCK:  Thursday, 20 March was 3,254 pounds of rainbow trout.

NEXT STOCK: Thursday, 10 April will be over 4,400 pounds of rainbow trout with trophy size to 15 pounds.

EVENTS:

March Hours –Lake Poway is open for fishing and boating Wednesday through Sunday from sunrise to sunset. The gates now open at 6:30 AM.

Trout Season – Please remember that adults (anyone 16 years of age and older) require both a California State fishing license and a City of Poway Adult Fishing permit to fish at Lake Poway. Youths between the ages of 8 and 15 years of age only require a Youth Fishing permit. Youths under the age of 8 only require a Youth Fishing permit when their accompanying adult is not fishing. All permits and licenses can be purchased at the Lake Poway Concession.

Open Trout Derby – Mark your calendars! The 2008 Open Trout Derby at Lake Poway is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, April 12^th and 13^th, 2008. The Derby will run from sunrise to sunset on Saturday and from sunrise to 12 noon on Sunday. Prizes will be awarded for the largest trout overall and in three divisions (Men, Women and Youth). There will also be many raffle prizes. Derby tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youths for each day of the event. A Derby ticket must be purchased in order to fish on either day even if you do not choose to participate in the Derby. Note that you must also have a permit in addition to your derby ticket. 50 motorboats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for Derby participants. The largest stock ever for a Derby, Over 4,400 pounds of trout, including trophy size up to 15 pounds, will be stocked on Thursday, April 10^th 2008. Lake Poway will be closed to boating and fishing on Thursday, April 10^th 2008 and on Friday, April 11^th in preparation for the Derby.

Bass Season – Now that Bass Season is almost here, we realize that bass fishermen like to fish closer to shore than our 100-foot rule allows. We allow some flexibility, between Boulder Bay and the East end of the log boom you can get as close as one boat length from the floating erosion control curtain. Beaching your boat on the curtain, driving into the curtain, tying up to the curtain or throwing your anchor over the curtain may result in immediate loss of boat privileges and possible eviction from the lake.

The rest of the Lake still has the 100-foot requirement. Also, if there is someone fishing on the shore, you must give him 100 feet of clearance. Beaching boats to fish on the shoreline and standing on/steering the motor with your foot are prohibited.

NOTICES:

Witch Creek Fire Damage Recovery – Lake Poway suffered severe damage during the Witch Creek fire. Lake Poway is a domestic water reservoir serving the City of Poway and its integrity must be protected.

An erosion control curtain has been installed a few feet offshore between the middle of Half Moon Bay and the east end of the log boom.  The purpose of this curtain is to catch debris, ash and mud before it enters the main body of water.  There are also erosion control features installed on the shoreline and trails (check dams, hydro seeding, etc). Click here to see a map of Lake Poway.

All of these controls will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

As a result, the rules for fishing at Lake Poway have changed (as of February 2, 2008) as follows:

SHORELINE FISHING

·         You may fish on the north shoreline

·         You may fish on the shoreline behind the curtain from Half Moon Bay all the way around the Lake to the Restroom Landing near Bucktail Bay. Please note that this area may be closed on a daily basis due to weather-related events. Please check with a Ranger or at Concessions when getting your permit.

·         There is absolutely no shoreline fishing from the Restroom Landing to the Log Boom. There is a sign stating where this area starts. Fishing in this area will result in eviction from the lake.

·         Casting near or over the curtain may result in snagging. You cast at your own risk. We are not responsible for anything you lose.

FISHING IN A BOAT

·         There is now one restroom across the lake near Bucktail Bay. You may beach your boat between the orange markers in order to use the restroom. There is no fishing while beached at the Restroom Landing.  Beaching of a boat anywhere else is still prohibited. Beaching your boat on the curtain, driving into the curtain or tying up to the curtain may result in immediate loss of boat privileges and possible eviction from the lake.

·         The 100 foot rule is now in effect in all areas where there is shoreline fishing

·         Casting near or over the curtain may result in snagging. You cast at your own risk. We are not responsible for anything you lose.

We recognize that these conditions are not ideal for fishing. We request that you work with us and understand that they are necessary to allow Lake Poway to recover from the effects of the fire damage.

Quagga Mussels –The Quagga mussel is not in Lake Poway. It is known that there are Quagga mussels in other lakes. In order to protect the integrity of the Lake Poway water system the following temporary restrictions are now in effect. Until further notice, the following items are prohibited at Lake Poway:

·         Float tubes

·         Private motors and anchors

·         Live Bait Containers

·         Fish Finders

·         Floating Catch Baskets

·         Live Bait (shiners, crawdads, etc) from any source other than the Lake Poway Concession

·         Any other items, determined by Staff, to be potential contaminants

No Smoking at Lake Poway –Smoking is prohibited on Lake Poway, in the park and on the trails. Smoking is only permitted in the designated smoking area that is located on the Northeast side of the Concession building.

INFORMATION: Lake Poway Information Line: (858) 668-4770, Concessions: (858) 486-1234

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUTDOOR RECREATION AND LAKE POWAY.