LAKE ELSINORE: Lake's fishery healthy

Percentage of gamefish has jumped in last several years, report shows

By AARON CLAVERIE - Staff Writer | Tuesday, November 11, 2008 8:08 PM PST ∞

LAKE ELSINORE ---- The hat with the hooks, "Dream Extreme" logo and sweat-stained brim is looking better than ever.

According to the results of a hydroacoustic survey conducted early this year, gamefish ---- bluegill, crappie, catfish and bass ---- make up 57 to 85 percent of the large fish in Lake Elsinore.

That number is up from 10 percent of large fish in 2003, according to a report that will be released this month by the Lake Elsinore San Jacinto Watersheds Authority, the public agency formed to spend millions of dollars raised through a bond measure approved by California voters.

And there is more good news.

Local fishermen say the lake has become more popular lately because of the closure of the private boat launch at Diamond Valley Lake, which is generally regarded as one of the best fishing spots in the county. The launch was closed because of falling water levels in the lake tied to the statewide drought.

"I've seen up to 50 bass boats on the lake. And normally there are 15 to 18," said Dave Pauley, president of the Lake Elsinore Bass Club.

The hydroacoustic survey, paid for by the watershed authority, was conducted in April by Michael Anderson, an associate professor of environmental chemistry at UC Riverside.

Lake Elsinore's director of lake operations, Pat Kilroy, has been waiting for the survey results to back up anecdotal reports and the data he collected during the city's carp harvesting operation, which show the lake's mix of bait fish, carp and gamefish is tilting toward bait fish and gamefish.

In 2003, the city was pulling in 7,000 pounds of carp each day. This year, the number dropped significantly to an average of 1,313 pounds a day.

The lower number is beneficial for the health of the lake, Kilroy said, because carp, an unpopular sport fish, stir up the nutrient-rich sediment that covers the lake bed. They also add to the nutrients in the water with their waste. And, finally, they destroy the nests of more popular sport fish, including bass.

When Anderson conducted his survey, he used a $35,000 sonar system to take acoustic snapshots of the lake that showed where the lake's fish were bunched together.

He said he then fed those snapshots into a computer that interpreted the data to get a detailed picture of the lake's fishery.

Pauley said Lake Elsinore has had a bad reputation in the fishing community because of fish die-offs in the past and the sometimes sickly health of the lake, which is fed by infrequent runoff from area hills.

But he said the city has worked to stabilize the level of the lake by purchasing water from the local water district and working with the watershed authority on installing an aeration system. And the fishing just keeps getting "better and better."

"People need to come and fish the lake and see how good it is," he said.

Using numbers from his recent trips and the reports of fellow club members, Pauley said the total weight of five fish taken from the lake used to run in the 8-pound range. Lately, it has jumped to 12 to 13 pounds.

Pauley said there have even been reports of a 16-pound haul, which works out to an average weight of of more than 3 pounds per fish.

Another good sign for Lake Elsinore: on Saturday, the lake hosted a California Bass Federation tournament that had been slated for Diamond Valley.

"As soon as I heard Diamond was closed, I said come on guys, let's have it Lake Elsinore," he said.

Contact staff writer Aaron Claverie at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2624, or aclaverie@californian.com.