Welcome to the Eagle Lake Fishing Report


Eagle Lake Fishing Information

Proud Fonders of Project Eagle Lake "Rainbow" Trout

By Val and Randy Aubrey
Upadted Every Day Possible
Except Sunday
California fishing Guide License #1209
Over 45 years experience fishing Eagle Lake
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This report is Copyright protected on date published below byVall Aubrey, eaglelakefishing.info

Val’s Daily Eagle Lake Fishing Report
Updated Every Day Possible because one day can make a difference
California Fishing Guide License #1209
Over 45 years experience fishing Eagle Lake

This report and all other articles, stories, photographs and maps are copyright protected on date published below by Val Aubrey, Publisher of Eagle Lake Fishing Information and Network and Localnews1.net LLC  If you care to repeat this information simply contact us.  Generally all it takes is to tell your readers/viewers where it came from.

We Dare to Care
Date: 2010-09-02 Time in: 3:12 PM
Current Temperature: 83.3F; 84.4F high on 9-2 Sunrise: 6: 32 AM on 9-2
Low Temperature: 38.4F on my patio Sunset: 7:32 PM on 9-2
Predicted High Temperature: 87/F; 83/Sa; 74/Su; 77/M; 64/Tu Moon Phase: New 9-8-2010
Current Wind: ENE 8 to 12 mph 16.2 mph gust Full Moon on: 9-23-10 equinox
Expecting gusts to: SW15/S; SW30/Sa; BREEZY/Su

NOAA Weather Forecast for Eagle Lake
Updated often & things can change
Precipitation since 1-1-08 10/1009 8.56" (4.53" since 1-25-10)
Barometer: 29.5 from 29.82
Total snowfall: start wishing!

Eagle Lake Fishing Regulations

 FISHING SEASON OPENS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND (MAY 29, 2010) AND CLOSES DECEMBER 31

NO TRIBUTARIES TO THE LAKE ARE OPEN FOR FISHING UNTIL THAT TIME.  NO FISHING IS ALLOWED IN PINE CREEK BELOW HIGHWAY 44.  NO FISHING INSIDE THE BREAKWATER JETTY AT THE EAGLE LAKE MARINA.  NO FISHING IN PINE CREEK SLOUGH BETWEEN THE EGG COLLECTION FACILITY AND THE LAKE.
 
1) legal fishing time is “one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset”. Sunrise and sunset times are posted on  the Weather page.
 
2) Daily limit of two trout and one person can only have four in possession (for two days of fishing). If you have retained your possession you cannot go out and keep two more trout on the third fishing day as that would be over-possession unless you have consumed your first limit.  Canned and/or smoked trout DO count towards your possession.  Also, transporting more fish than you have people in your vehicle isn't going to cut it.  Transporting fish for other people is not an option even if their names and license numbers are on the fish.
 
3) No minnows can be used as bait, including minnows caught in the lake itself.
 
4) No trout can be kept in a live condition in a live well.
 
5) As stated above: No fishing in Pine Creek below highway 44 and Pine Creek Slough to Eagle Lake. No fishing inside the jetty rocks at Eagle Lake Marina.  Signs may not be adequate but actually don’t even have to be there. It is posted in the CDFG Sport fishing Regulations so not seeing the signs is no excuse! Fred’s Road is closed to vehicular traffic on the north side of the slough.
 
6) NO CHUMMING IS ALLOWED. That means no cans of corn or shrimp being dumped overboard, or anything else that would attract the fish.  Attractants are only allowed to be put on bait. 
 
7) Children under age 16 are allowed to fish with two poles.  Children must be able to do most of the job of fishing before their limit can be obtained.  This is not intended to discourage teaching your kid how to fish, but for example we all know that a toddler is not capable of reeling in a fish and doing most of the work by him or herself, the toddlers limit cannot be taken.  CDFG wardens know that parents have to teach their kids how to do it but the kid has to be old enough to be making some effort too.  IE learning to cast. I have seen kids as young as 4 do a very good job of following verbal instructions.  Generally only needing help holding the rod up after several minutes of fighting the fish.  Baiting up usually around 9, casting around 7 years old.  But, it all depends on how much the kids get to fish over how old they are.

We still have full staffing of CDFG Wardens this season, we did not take a bad hit with the state budget. They know we have problems with some folks fishing illegally and thinking no one is watching. We have news for you, you are being watched, uniformed and undercover folks, don't be stupid!!! 
 
Fines can be in the hundreds of dollars. Over possession fines can cost you thousands of dollars.  The local fishing community supports ALL the efforts of CDFG Wardens, and many of us can reach them instantly. The best thing to do is simply not violate the regulations!!
Watch for deer on the mountain highways.
 THE SPEED LIMIT IS 55 MPH ON ALL THE HIGHWAYS UP HERE.  DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK, YOU WILL GET PULLED OVER.
 
USFS Road 21 (A-21 is the county road leading from highway 44 to Westwood) is open between highway 44 and Eagle Lake. The road is still pretty washboard but other than that it is in good shape.  
 
A-1 south: Pretty good shape for the shape it is in! Still has some loose gravel on a few turns.
 
A-1: Eagle Lake Road from highway 139 is in good shape and dry unless a storm passes through.  Generally the roads remain in pretty good shape until the first storms of fall come in.

ROAD CONSTRUCTION & SHOULDER/CULVERT CLEAN UP IS GOING ON ON ALONG MOST ALL THE LOCAL HIGHWAYS.
Highway 139: Is in good shape and dry for the most part all the way to Susanville. NOTE that deer and antelope have been moving closer to the lake the last few weeks. The deer have been quite active during the day.  THE SPEED LIMIT IS 55 MPH ON ALL THE HIGHWAYS UP HERE.  DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK, YOU WILL GET PULLED OVER. (This notice provided for by request of several people who have been cited for speeding.  They wanted me to warn others so it doesn't happen to them!)

Highway 32: Was in good shape.  Watch for construction work along the way. There were short delays last week.
 
Highway 36: Was dry and in good shape from Susanville to highway 32.  Construction in many places & watch for deer.  Don’t forget that the speed limit is 55 mph on this stretch of highway all the way to Susanville…often that is too fast for the conditions. This is very well patrolled by CHP …and I don’t advise going much faster than the speed limit.
 
Highway 44: Road construction. Lots of deer moving during the day so be careful. 55 mph speed limit in stretches.
Highway 395: In good shape and dry.  Remember that deer are prevalent in the Honey Lake Valley and the “Locals” name for 395 to Reno is “BLOOD ALLEY”. Drive it and you’ll understand what we mean.
We can certainly see inclement weather pop up just about any time up here and under the right conditions, the lake can make her own weather. This time of year we generally see some thunderstorms which can dump enough rain at once to make for good hydroplaning conditions. Just use your head and remember the speed limit doesn’t matter if you are going too fast for the conditions. 
 
Check the road cameras at the links above.
© Copyright protected 2004 - 2010.
Eagle Lake Fishing Information and Network

 
Ramp Conditions
Last update 9-2-10
® Registered © Copyright Protected
TEXTING (530-249-1430) AND MOBILE EMAIL NOW AVAILABLE.
 FISHING SEASON CLOSES DECEMBER 31, 2010
JOIN VALERIE AUBREY ON FACEBOOK
JOIN EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS ON FACEBOOK TOO!

SEE CURRENT LAUNCH RAMP PHOTOS IN RAMPS ALBUM IN OUR GALLERY
NEW PHOTOS OF EAGLE LAKE MARINA ON 9-2-10
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LASSEN COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT 911 TO ALL BOATERS.
Be very careful around Miners Pt rock piles. Also a very dangerous location on the Plateau between the Youth Camp and Biology Station. 
Rocks are approximately 13 inches below the surface @ N 40 37.717 X W 120 44.089
WE WILL BE COMING OUT WITH A NEW LAMINATED “SPECIAL EDITION MAP” WITH MORE ROCK PILES & GPS LOCATIONS SOON. 

Complaints of too many flashing lights make it too hard to count the seconds between the flashes to know which light is where. Most folks who don’t have GPS and have to rely on channel markings are waiting for more light before going out. (waiting 30 minutes has not made a difference in whether you can limit out or not. I haven’t hit the pond until between 5:30 AM and 5:45 AM and have had no trouble catching fish or finding a bite.

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WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS COPY/PASTE IN THE MAY 28TH ISSUE.

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GENERAL STORE IN SPALDING NOW OPEN 9AM to 7PM
INQUIRE ABOUT JOINING “EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS” WITH REBECCA 530-825-2191 OR EMAIL OR CALL VAL 530-249-1430
EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS ALREADY SIGNED UP OUR FIRST CALL TO ARMS IS TO WRITE TO THE LASSEN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AT 707 NEVADA ST, SUSANVILLE, CA 96130 AND ASK THEM TO EXPEDITE THE GRANT PROCESS FOR THE WATER STUDY FOR THE EAGLE LAKE BASIN.

NEW LAKE ELEVATION LEVELS DETAILS AND WHERE TO FIND THE ELEVATION MARKERS AT THE SPALDING RAMP ON “LAKE CONDITIONS” PAGE TOO! Doc Bateson put markers on the northwest edge of the ramp at Spalding Marina so if you launch in Spalding you can look for the aluminum markers on the left looking down the ramp. These were put in last year. Doc is physically shooting the elevation and providing us with the details as the markers end along with
 
LAKE ELEVATION COMPARISON BY DATES  
May 16 – 5097.37 feet;
May 31 5097.2 feet  
June 6th 5097.1. 
June 13th - 5097 feet. 
June 22nd 5096.93
July 4th- 5096.83
July 11th- 5096.74
July 25th- 5096.52 ft
August 8, 2010 DIRECT FROM DOC BATESON "...The lake is at 5096.27 feet.  It has dropped 3 inches in the past 2 weeks.  It will probably do the same over the next several weeks and then slow down as Sept cools down.  But it will surely drop 9 inches between now and Oct 1, and  12-13 inches by Nov 1 unless we get some rain...Pray for rain!"
August 22, 2010 the lake elevation is now down to 5096.0 ft even. The lake is still dropping at 1 ½ inches per week. (Doc put in the 5096ft elevation marker in today) but I think he’s running out of cement now.
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EAGLE LAKE MARINA: WE THANK LNF FOR A PROMPT RESPONSE REGARDING OUR CONCERNS FOR FOLKS PLANNING ON LAUNCHING AT EAGLE LAKE MARINA:  "Hi Val,Good to hear from you and thank you for asking. We do not have any plans right now to anything at the existing boat launch facility at Gallatin Marina. The water is so low, and our launch site so flat, that even dredging would not help.  Scott McCullough and Julia Everta (District Lands and Recreation Staff Officer) have been working to do the best they can.

For the long term, we have been working with CalBoating on the design of a low water boat launch that will be built on the west side of the jetty. They have given us the design and we are currently working through the permitting process of the various agencies. We plan to build the launch late summer, early fall depending on the permits. A few weeks ago we posted this article in the Lassen County Times and is  posted on our web site.

Let me know if you need anything else.  thanks.

Terri

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 Terri Frolli, District Ranger
 Eagle Lake Ranger District  
 Lassen National Forest
 477-050 Eagle Lake Road
 Susanville, CA 96130
 Office - 530.252.5810
 FAX - 530.252.5855
 email: tmfrolli@fs.fed.us"

I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR FOLKS BUT HERE YOU GO:

RAMP INFORMATION: Call LNF and ask them for a start date for the low level ramp you have been waiting for. At this point, I personally don’t see it coming folks!! Pin LNF down to a date and completion date…see what answer you get! My bet is that you will not get an answer other than that it is taking years to get the permit process in process….that was last year’s excuse…and it doesn’t take that long folks…LNF is dragging their feet…and I assume nothing will be done for you this year either. (530) 257-4188 is Eagle Lake Ranger District desk.

Eagle Lake Marina (Lassen College Foundation) Susanville office (530) 257-3067
(Eagle Lake Marina 530-825-3454).
EAGLE LAKE MARINA:   See 9-2-10 photos in ramp album. We commend those folks maintaining what they can for as long as they can.  Marina remains functional for most smaller boats under 14 ft and  I would advise larger (16+ ft) and deeper drafting boats and especially fixed props to launch in Spalding. Most all boats are paddling in from the jetty or using electric motors set near the surface.  Both boats I watched on 9-2-10 dragged over the mud/sand before getting in to the courtesy dock...no wind made it easier, would be tough on a windy day for anyone.  In the photos, a heron was standing up a little more than a foot away from the courtesy dock...see the new photos.  Sand continues to be pulled away keeping a channel open but I wouldn’t recommend larger boats even though some that are shallow drafting might float over the bottom….some will have to be dragged over it.  There have been larger boats making it, some taking more work than others. Hopefully they make it through Labor Day Weekend but it is already limited. If you choose to launch your boat in Spalding expect a 3+ gallon trip back to the campground beaches from Spalding for 75 HP and above size motors…more if you have an older bigger 2 stroke). …and it will cost you $8 in Spalding to launch or park. It isn’t getting better and unless LNF does something about it, it will soon be over for just about everyone...forget about launching in December.... I have still seen some boats to 18 ft launch but getting over the shoal is getting harder for larger boats. Keep your motors up and walk your boat down the courtesy dock (some folks are having to turn their boats around rather than pulling them out backwards). Their claim is that the flat/square back & bottom hinder getting out, turning their bows out helped float them over the shallow shoal.…some deeper drafting boats are dragging bottom over the shoal but they are making it out at this time. I would not recommend deep drafting fiberglass boats. THE LAKE IS STILL LOSING 1.5 INCHES OF WATER PER WEEK…DO THE MATH AND IT ISN’T GOING TO BE GETTING BETTER & WE DOUBT THAT LASSEN NATIONAL FOREST WILL ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT A LOW LEVEL RAMP THIS SEASON BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS HOPE FOR IT.. PLEASE CALL THE MARINA FOR DAILY DETAILED (& honest) INFO AT 530-825-3454. It is close to the beginning of the end but I believe that the marina folks are giving accurate statements this season. It is NOT the fault of Lassen College Foundation and they are innocent bystanders caught in the middle between the visitors and LNF. Please keep in mind that Lassen National Forest is responsible for providing adequate and safe launching.
 
Some low-slung trailers are beginning to scrape the cement when dropping off but most small boats and trailers are still getting in as well as shallow drafting boats.. 
If you can’t make it in your only back up at this time is Spalding.   THERE IS A FEE TO LAUNCH AND PARK AT SPALDING MARINA ($8/DAY). Please be courteous. (you may be waiting a while for LNF to improve the launching conditions at the Eagle Lake marina).
SPALDING MARINA $8/launching/parking fee:NEW PIPES LINING THE WAY OUT WERE INSTALLED and NEW SOLAR LIGHTS TOPPING THEM PROVIDE GUIDANCE AT O-DARK THIRTY.  see new photos in ramps album in our gallery. Only 3 to 4 ft of cement left but some gravel has been dumped in to ease the transition, however, since that was done initially there is currently a 3 to 6 inch drop off the cement depending on where your trailer wheels are. SCSD going to see about moving some gravel back in before the weekend. Depending on how long your trailer is there is a secondary drop…I assume that is where dredging really got to digging in last fall.   It isn’t perfect but it is better than what it could be.   The drop off causes problems getting the trailers too deep to keep the boat centered properly when pulling out.  So if you have a long way to go, make sure the boat is on the trailer straight before towing it 100’s of miles.  Other than that Spalding is good to go for now.  The recent gravel will need to be maintained including once the cement is out of the water. Remember the channel out is narrow despite originally being 35 ft wide it is not right now. If you do pass double in the channel, stay closer to the other boat, than one side or the other. There has been quite a bit of sloughing off the tops of the sandy shoals since last November. I RECORDED THE TOP OF THE SHOAL AT 2.3 to 2.5 FT DEEP BUT AT THE SHALLOWEST IT REMAINS 2.8 to 3.0 FT DEEP IN THE TROUGH BEFORE REACHING THE OUTSIDE 5 mph BUOY…THERE YOU HAVE 4.6 TO 5.3 FT OF WATER TO TAKE OFF IN.  Be courteous and don't try to double up getting in and out.  Try to keep a cool head and avoid confrontations….it only takes one idiot to fire up tempers so try to keep a level head….I know that quite often it isn’t easy. We can expect to lose another foot of water by Nov so if you plan on launching in Spalding this fall, plan on keeping your motors up...we continue to lose water 1.5 inches per week, so by Oct we will be looking at several inches less water…late Nov 10 to 12 inches less and it won’t be pretty by then.
 
BEWARE OF NEW FINES BEING IMPOSED AT SPALDING MARINA FOR SWIMMING, BIKE RIDING, PARKING ERRORS, DOGS OFF LEASH ETC. ANOTHER WAY TO GET MORE MONEY OUT OF YOU. Don’t believe me? Go to SCSD website and see what you will be fined for now…. www.spaldingcsd.org
 
PLEASE DON’T POWER YOUR BOAT UP ONTO THE TRAILER HERE EITHER, the prop-wash from prop driven boats as well as jet boats will eventually relocate enough silt to begin adding to the shoals, you just don’t see how far the moving water flows back…plus it also sucks light gravel AWAY from the cement of the ramp at the same time.  If you think you are blowing it out to help, guess again…it will only help if you can blow out a 300 ft long channel behind you….sorry, even jets can’t help with that so please don’t even try.  Mother Nature doesn't need any help right now and we would all like to make it through until we ice over this fall. Let’s save what we have so we can continue to use the ramp until it ices over in late November or early December (if we are lucky)
Season pass at $75 & discounted multi-day passes available from Spalding Community Service District. If you don’t pay for parking expect to find a citation for $85 on top of your parking fee of $8 with possible paperwork fee of $25 depending on the citation. Fee boxes have been relocated in the parking area and are more user friendly this season. No more stopping at the entrance and backing up traffic!
STONES LANDING:The county ramp is high and dry but the north basin is still accessible from the water despite lower lake conditions. The rock piles are pretty well marked from the middle basin and the warmer waters make for great jet skiing, wind surfing & swimming. Mariner's Resort, restaurant, lounge RV park and store have been and remain open!! Mariners has arrangements in place to launch their RV Park customers boats and put them on their dock for them.  Call Mariners for an RV space in the most beautiful RV park and resort on Eagle Lake. Mariners Resort 530-825-3333 MARINERS RESORT IS PLANNING A LUAU FOR THE LAST BIG BASH OF SUMMER ON SEPT 4. CLICK HERE FOR INFO!!
ROCKY POINT:Remains functional but the road in is pretty nasty for towing but it do-able. There have been a few repairs and some gravel graded out, but BLM doesn’t have a whole lot to work with in a few areas…better than it was last fall. May have to be a last resort come later in the season. Please drive slowly through the community of Buck’s Bay to help control the dust.

NEWS AND ISSUES AFFECTING EAGLE LAKE
8-30-10
Lassen National Forest improves access to the east side of Pine Creek Slough near the mouth of Pine Creek. Fred’s Road that used to lead out to the mouth of Pine Creek on the west side of the creek has been closed for the last couple years. As a substitute access for anglers, LNF was to improve the road leading out to the east side of the creek and create a parking area that would keep anglers from driving on the soft grassy shoreline between Spalding’s marina and Pine Creek. The old road was sandy and well used. In several area ruts became a problem when we had a little rain or snow and erosion was becoming a problem in several areas. It took a few weeks but LNF graded out the old road and topped it with 4 to 5 inches of beautiful pinkish gravel that is nearly dustless (thank you LNF…some of you might recognize it from an improved section on USFS 21 that goes to highway 44…and it has held up better than any other gravel or cinder that was brought in for that road) with several gravel turnouts along the way extending from The Strand at Spalding marina to the Y (the crossroads) where the old roads are closed to vehicular access. These roads used to go upstream behind the water district in Spalding and on to the egg collection facility and are very well marked that no motorized vehicles are allowed beyond that point…but some people can’t read…and drive right over the bendable road closed stakes. Where the improved gravel road ends at the Y there is a large circular parking area. The area that this road accesses is generally close to extremely good fishing in fall. However, with the decreased water level, it is doubtful that many fish will come that far north this fall, however, the fish have been known to prove everyone wrong. Regardless, getting to the lake still requires a walk. It will be very nice once the lake level comes back up and I am sure it will be utilized once that happens…I know I will use it when the lake comes back up.
Lassen National Forest chip-seals the paved bike trail and the parking lot at the marina. Gravel still in stock piles so I expect them to continue on. The chipped rock is of nice quality and it has the appearance that it is loose gravel, but I can tell you, it’s stuck pretty darned good. The chipped rock is a light to medium grey and is esthetically appealing against the pines and sage. It looks like it should hold up for a good many years. Now, all we need is water in the lake so everyone can launch to use that parking lot!  
7-30-10
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LASSEN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ARE TRYING TO GET SOME OF THE GRANT MONEY AVAILABLE TO PERFORM AN EXTENSIVE WATER STUDY INCLUDING HOW WE ARE AFFECTED BY AG WELLS ON OUR AQUIFER, & CLOUD SEEDING FOR LAKE ALMANOR.
 
EAGLE LAKE 911 CALLING ALL GUARDIANS
EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS FIRST CALL TO ARMS WHILE WE WAIT ON THE PAPERWORK: WRITE THE LASSEN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WHOSE ADDRESS IS 707 NEVADA STREET, SUSANVILLE, CA 96130 AND TELL THEM TO EXPEDITE THE GRANT PROCESS FOR WATER FLOW IN AND EFFECTING EAGLE LAKE BASIN. THIS PROCESS CAN TAKE FOREVER, OR BE EXPEDITED… WELL, WE DON’T HAVE THE LUXURY OF TIME FOR OUR LADY EAGLE LAKE…YOU KNOW, THE JEWEL OF CALIFORNIA.
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NOTICE TO ALL WHO CARE ABOUT EAGLE LAKE AND WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
 
WE (as in many of us) ARE NOT WAITING ANY LONGER AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF
STARTING UP A NEW NON PROFIT TO HELP SAVE EAGLE LAKE  

“EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS”
!WE ARE UNITED AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!
MEMBERSHIP ONLY $15
AND YOU WILL RECEIVE A MEMBERSHIP CARD SHOWING YOU ARE AN EAGLE LAKE GUARDIAN!!
 
THE GENERAL STORE IN SPALDING IS HAVING A RAFFLE TO DONATE TO AND ASSIST FORMING A NEW NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN WHICH THE PAPERWORK HAS ALREADY BEEN RECEIVED AND WE ARE IN STAGE TWO AND DOING THAT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. WE ARE ONLY WAITING FOR OUR NUMBER BEFORE COLLECTING YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEE’S.   OUR OBJECTIVE  IS TO ENHANCE EAGLE LAKE WATER LEVELS, WATER QUALITY & FISHERY FOR THE FUTURE.
THE TIME HAS COME TO TAKE A STAND AND BE PREPARED TO GO THE DISTANCE
JOIN THE OTHER ANGLERS WHO DARE TO CARE
For more information
CALL 530-249-1430 OR EMAIL eaglelakefishing@yahoo.com
OR SEE REBECCA AT THE ORIGINAL EAGLE LAKE GENERAL STORE
530-825-2191
WE ARE ACCEPTING GIFTS FOR THE RAFFLE AT THE GENERAL STORE IN SPALDING
WE ARE NOT CALIFORNIA INLAND FISHERIES PROJECT EAGLE LAKE TROUT. 
WE ARE THE EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS FOUNDED BY EAGLE LAKE FISHING INFORMATION AND NETWORK & THE GENERAL STORE IN SPALDING.
 
PUBLISHERS OPINION: IF WE DON’T START KEEPING SOME OF THE LAKE WATER NOW, THE NORTH AND MIDDLE BASINS WILL BE DRYING UP IN TWO YEARS; AT 48” TO 55” PER YEAR EVAPORATION AND AVERAGE 8 INCH INCREASE OVER WINTER (EXCEPT FOR 2005/2006 @ 4FT).  FIRST, LET’S SEE WHAT THE WATER TESTS SHOW…DOUBTFUL IF THEY WILL CHECK THE FRACTURES FLOW. BUT THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE VALVE TURNED OFF AND STOP THE FLOW OF WATER IS TO JOIN TOGETHER AND GIVE THE LAKE A VOICE. BUT  I ALSO BELIEVE WE WILL EVENTUALLY  NEED TO FILE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF THE COMPLAINANTS ON BLM AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FROM CDFG TO THE STATE WATER RESOURCE CONTROL BOARD WHO ALSO KNOW THE WATER RIGHTS WERE REMOVED…ANY AND ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES INCLUDING AND NOT LIMITED TO THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN EAGLE LAKE WATER FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS. WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE (JUST AS THEY DO) THAT THE WATER RIGHTS WERE REMOVED MANY, MANY YEARS AGO. IT IS ALL OVER THE “EAGLE LAKE BASIN PLAN” SO WHICH COURT ORDER IS RIGHT…LIKE THE LATEST MAYBE?  I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO DRAG THEIR ASSES TO COURT ON BEHALF OF THE COMPLAINANTS. THEY HAVE LEFT US NO CHOICE BUT TO SUE THE AGENCIES AND INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IF THEY CAN’T SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY CHOICE! THE WATER RIGHTS HAD BEEN REMOVED AS PER THE EAGLE LAKE BASIN PLAN AND SUPPORTING STUDIES. SO SOMEONE HAS SOME EXPLAINING TO DO BUT IT WON’T BE VOLUNTARY.  THAT’S WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOLKS OR SAY GOOD BYE TO EAGLE LAKE FOR YOUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS. THAT’S JUST MY OPINION. 

JUNE 15TH COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE BLY TUNNEL. MR. RUDY WHITMER IS A PROPERTY OWNER AND CONCERNED CITIZEN and HE AND DOC BATESON WERE THE FIRST TO BE CONCERNED AFTER HAVING pH TESTS PERFORMED ON THE WATER FLOWING OUT OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN WHICH SHOWED A pH OF 8.4…NOT QUITE THE SAME 7’S AS WILLOW CREEK SPRING WATER. HIS QUESTION IS FIRST, MR. RICH AT CA WATER BOARD RESPONSE IS BELOW.

From: Chuck Rich
Subject: RE: 363:DL:262.0(18-09-02)
To: "Rudy Whitmer"
Date: Monday, June 7, 2010, 5:25 PM
Dear Mr. Whitmer,
 
My apologies for the delay in responding to your e-mail.  The staff assigned to the Eagle Lake complaint, Dave La Brie, has been reassigned to a special project and has not been working on complaints for several months.  Due to a shortage of staff resources, no additional work on this complaint has been undertaken for quite some time.
 
According to a 2/22/2010 letter, the Bureau of Land Management has decided to keep the Bly Tunnel open.  Consequently, the next step in the complaint process would be to undertake an analysis of the "reasonableness" of leaving the tunnel open in light of the provisions of California water law.  A comment letter dated 9/8/2009 from the DF&G (copy attached), indicates that DF&G staff do not believe leaving the tunnel open would have much of an impact of public trust resources in the lake and that evaporation and precipitation processes are much more important than the tunnel discharge.  While I believe that the analyses expressed in these letters may not adequately address the potential for multi-year cumulative impact on lake levels due to the tunnel discharge, without a more detailed hydrologic modeling analysis, the cumulative impact potential cannot be accurately defined and any action by Complaint Unit staff cannot be very well supported.
 
At this time, I do not know when the Complaint Unit will have sufficient resources to undertake the necessary analysis.  The Complaint Unit has lost over 50% of our staffing due to redirection, retirement, and furloughs.  At the same time, demands on many high priority projects have increased.  Obviously, everything cannot be completed with limited resources.  I will notify the parties to the complaint when work resumes on this complaint but it may not occur for some time.  Hopefully, precipitation will be sufficient in the interim to maintain the public trust resources in the lake.  However, if you become aware of significant adverse impacts to public trust resources in the lake, please let me know.
 
Sincerely,
 
Charles Rich, Chief
Complaint Unit
(916) 341-5377
CRich@waterboards.ca.gov
 
PUBLISHER’S COMMENT: EAGLE LAKE AND HER PROBLEMS WITH THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE AS TO WHY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON’T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT.   AS FOR THE BLY TUNNEL, SEEMS TO ME THAT TOO FEW PEOPLE BENEFIT FROM USING A NATURAL RESOURCE BELONGING TO ALL THE CITIZENS. THE VISUAL “FLOW RATE” OR “PROFESSIONAL GUESS” IS NOT HARD SCIENCE AND MANY TOOLS AND FORMULA’S EXIST FOR BETTER ACCURACY. CONSIDERING THE ACTUAL FLOW RATE THROUGH THE PIPE IS DEPENDENT ON THE LAKE LEVEL, HIGHER FLOW RATES DURING YEARS OF HIGHER LAKE LEVELS WERE NOT A PART OF THE EQUATION…ONLY THE LOWEST LEVEL LAST FALL WAS USED. SO BACK TO THE SAME OLD BUSINESS AS USUAL AND THAT IS IF THERE IS NO SCIENCE THERE IS NO PROOF ONE WAY OR ANOTHER TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH WATER IS LEAVING EAGLE LAKE. BUT, AS PER THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS, EAGLE LAKE WATER, NO MATTER HOW LITTLE OR MUCH, BY LAW IS NOT TO BE USED AND IS TO REMAIN IN THE LAKE….THIS WAS DETERMINED WELL BEFORE BLM INSTALLED THE PIPE AND VALVE. ALL THE DOCUMENTS SAY THAT PRETTY MUCH WORD FOR WORD IN THE EAGLE LAKE BASIN PLAN. SO WHAT WE HAVE IS ONE SIDE SAYING WE HAVE THE WATER RIGHTS, AND THE OTHER BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT SAYING NO ONE HAS ANY RIGHTS TO EAGLE LAKE WATER. SO WHAT ONE IS IT? WELL, THAT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK. SO, THIS IS THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO CLEAR UP AND THAT MEANS BE WILLING TO GO THE DISTANCE TO PROTECT EAGLE LAKE ….GOING HALF WAY WON’T COUNT THIS TIME FOLKS…NOW OR NEVER WE NEED TO BE THE “HEART OF EAGLE LAKE”.   
ARTIFICIALLY CREATED AND ENHANCED HABITATS AND WATER RIGHTS DRAWING OFF WATER FROM A SOURCE THAT BY LAW IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE DRAWN FROM APPEAR TO BE MORE IMPORTANT TO THE ECONOMY OF LASSEN COUNTY THAN EAGLE LAKE AND HER  HERITAGE TROUT ARE…AND IF IT IS SUCH A “SMALL” AMOUNT OF WATER WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO TURN OFF THE VALVE OR SEAL THE FRACTURE?  THE FACT THAT A COURT ORDER SAYING EAGLE LAKE WATER IS TO REMAIN IN EAGLE LAKE IS BEING IGNORED BY ALL EVEN THOUGH IT IS ALL OVER THE EAGLE LAKE BASIN PLAN APPROVED BY ALL THE AGENCIES.  MOTHER NATURE IS NOT ACTING ALONE WHEN IT COMES TO EAGLE LAKE.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?   THIS MATTER IS MOST CERTAINLY AFFECTING THE “MATTER OF PUBLIC TRUST” IN OUR AGENCIES AND THE LONGER IT IS DELAYED THE MORE PUBLIC TRUST IS LOST AND MONEY SPENT AND WASTED. THE ONLY ONES NOT TAKING HOME A PAYCHECK IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ARE THE VERY PEOPLE WHO OWN EAGLE LAKE TO BEGIN WITH, AND THAT IS WHY IT IS CALLED “PUBLIC PROPERTY” THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY TYPE  PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OR “RIGHTS” TO A PUBLIC NATURAL RESOURCE THAT WAS ALTERED BY MAN WITHOUT CONCERN OF THE VERY HABITAT DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE ACT.   THE BLY TUNNEL VALVE SHOULD BE CLOSED & THE FRACTURE SEALED UNTIL THE TIME THAT IT IS NEEDED FOR AN ADDITIONAL GOVERNMENTAL CLAIM OF PREVENTING HIGH LAKE ELEVATIONS FROM DAMAGING PRIVATE DWELLINGS AND PROPERTY…. AT THIS POINT, PROPERTY VALUES WILL PLUMMET, RESORT PROPERTIES/BUSINESSES ARE ALREADY SUFFERING SO WHAT DO THEY EXPECT TO HAPPEN WHEN THERE ISN’T SUBSTANTIAL WATER FOR RECREATION. UNFORTUNATELY, EVERYTHING I HAVE SEEN SAID THAT THE VALVE WAS TO BE CLOSED IN YEARS OF DROUGHT….SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE, SOMEONE GOT GREEDY AND WANTED MORE OF EVERYTHING FOR THEMSELVES.   I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP EAGLE LAKE WATER IN EAGLE LAKE AS STATED BY LAW. THOSE PROFITING FROM THIS SOURCE OF PUBLIC WATER, SHOULD PAY THE PUBLIC FOR THE WATER THAT MAY HAVE BEEN SOLD OFF. IF THEY ARE UNWILLING, THEN THEY SHOULD DRILL SOME AG WELLS AND DO IT THE SAME WAY EVERYONE ELSE IN THE NATION HAS TOO…NOW, WHO DO YOU THINK LASSEN COUNTY WILL HIRE TO DO THE STUDY? WELL, THERE ARE NAMES WE WILL NOT ACCEPT FOR CONDUCTING THE STUDY, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR QUALIFICATIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS / COMMENDATIONS MIGHT BE.  WE KNOW WHO WE CAN NOT TRUST FOR AN HONEST STUDY… AND IF AND WHEN THE TIME COMES, WE’LL LET THAT CAT OUT OF THE BAG. IN THE MEAN TIME, THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT JOINING THE EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS AND TOGETHER WE’LL GET THE JOB DONE!
Click here: March 25, 2010 letter from State Water Quality Control Board to an attached mailing list regarding Bly Tunnel and BLM’s decision not to close the valve. Also, a change in contact information. (We excluded names and addresses of those folks on the mailing list for security purposes…never can be too careful these days.) 
 
BLM needs to reconsider their part in keeping water from leaving the lake.   BLM LEAVING VALVE OPEN IN BLY TUNNEL   However, if they didn't consider it back when they decided to install the valve and pipe below the level pre-determined by CDFG in 1962 to be detrimental to the lake, fish and recreation which was at an elevation of 5099 ft.
 
Maybe LNF should look into having BLM pay up their share for low level launching after allowing several feet of lake water to flow to Willow Creek and the Susan River for irrigation over the last two plus decades. All contact information is on the link PDF files. Don’t just sit on your butt and do nothing folks…unless you simply don’t care. Think about how much this lake has given you then try to think of something you have done for her. 
 
Letter from State Water Resource Control Board Referenced to in BLM Water Budget regarding “water rights”…. This does not require reading between the lines…it is right there in black and white in the Eagle Lake Basin Plan that water rights to Eagle Lake water do not exist. What is wrong with this picture folks? THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD EXPLAIN WHY ALL THE EAGLE LAKE BASIN PLAN SAYS NO ONE HAS ANY RIGHTS TO EAGLE LAKE WATER YET THE SAME AGENCIES INVOLVED IN PREPARING THE BASIN PLAN NOW CLAIM THERE IS…WHAT JUDICIAL RULING OVER RULES….I WOULD THINK THE LATEST ONE POSSIBLY?   

 
ALL EAGLE LAKE, ALL THE TIME
  © Copyright REGISTERED WITH THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 2004-2010 by the author, Valerie Aubrey. The website’s http://www.eaglelakefishing.net/ and http://www.eaglelakefishing.info/, All Maps, Articles and Photographs contained there in are copyright protected and are published exclusively on the Internet by the author and may not be copied, displayed, reproduced or published in any other form without the express written permission of the author who reserves all rights. Viewers may print for personal use. Commercial use of any map or story is strictly prohibited without permission. Any “free Map” from our websites must be a permitted copy for commercial redistribution. Material supplied by others is the copyrighted property of the respective authors. Re-use of any articles, maps and photographs on Eagle Lake Fishing Information and Network without written permission by the author(s) for any purpose is strictly prohibited. We have a tendency to check some publications and newspapers for plagiarism.  
 
COMMERCIAL USE FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.
Lake Conditions
© Registered ®
9-2-10
SEE NEW LAKE ELEVATION FOR 8-22 BELOW

SEE WHY THIS VOLUNTARY ACTION IS REQUESTED HERE
NOTE: STRAWBERRY CONDITION IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED A “DISEASE”.

Water temps not applicable anymore. See changes in water temps below!!
 
Be very careful around Miners Pt rock piles. Also a very dangerous location on the Plateau between the Youth Camp and Biology Station. Rocks are approximately 13 inches below the surface
 @ N 40 37.717 X W 120 44.089
WE ARE GOING TO BE COMING OUT WITH A NEW “SPECIAL EDITION” MAP WITH NUMEROUS ROCK PILES MARKED WITH GPS LOCATIONS. WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON GARMIN MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS IN 2011!!

People are complaining to too many flashing buoy lights are hindering navigation through the channels. Waiting until you have enough light to see the buildings of the Youth Camp for guidance isn’t a bad idea for first timers or first time this season folks.  

LAKE ELEVATION
Doc Bateson put markers on the northwest edge of the ramp at Spalding Marina so if you launch in Spalding you can look for the markers on the left looking down the ramp. Surely as the water drops Doc will be counting every “nth” of an inch…and so will we as this is where Eagle Lake Fishing Information and Network get’s their numbers from, we have eyes and can see for ourselves how much water was gained…all the accurate numbers come from Doc.

LAKE ELEVATION COMPARISON BY DATES
May 16 – 5097.37 feet
May 31 5097.2 feet (.9 inches per week drop)
June 6th 5097.10 feet
June 13th - 5097 feet
June 22nd 5096.93 feet
July 4th- 5096.83 feet
July 11th- 5096.74 feet (1.2 inches per week drop)
July 25 – 5096.52 feet down 2.64 inches in two weeks (1.32 inches per week drop in elevation)
August 8, 2010 DIRECT FROM DOC BATESON "...The lake is at 5096.27 feet.  It has dropped 3 inches in the past 2 weeks.  It will probably do the same over the next several weeks and then slow down as Sept cools down.  But it will surely drop 9 inches between now and Oct 1, and  12-13 inches by Nov 1 unless we get some rain...Pray for rain!"
August 22, 2010: Caught Doc in the act this morning at the Spalding ramp. The lake elevation on 8-22-10 was 5096 ft even. The lake continues to drop 1 ½ inches per week.

STILL WE CONTINUE TO WAIT FOR DOCUMENTATION REGARDING MANY CDFG STATEMENTS PERTAINING TO FOOD SUPPLY AND WATER QUALITY… We will be meeting with CDFG biologists and supervisors in a couple weeks…hopefully we can clear up the problems & statements.
 
NOTE REGARDING THE WIND: A noticeable change in the wind pattern so far this year. Our wind gusts have routinely exceeded what NOAA has predicted by 7 to 17 mph. Heaviest gust on 8-19-10 was 37.2 mph, 25 mph was predicted.
 
SOUTH BASIN WATER TEMPERATURE:   64.3F to 65.7F on September 2 only tenths of a degree higher than it was on 8-30 which is good considering we had two warm days with light winds back to back. We still have a couple more warmer days before a slight cooling trend passes through.  In 50 ft of water between Shrimp Island and Eagles Nest I had temps plus & minus tenths of a degree from 65.3F this morning. Water temps cooling will begin to increase the color in the lake water. If we continue on this trend we will see the “fall turn” come on soon. Already we are seeing a slight reduction in clarity to the bottom (water getting faintly cloudy). The reduction for us has only been a couple feet as clarity to the bottom went from 10 ft to 8 ft. What I call “color in the water” is just that and as water temps cool down and days get shorter some of the microscopic algae’s begin to die off. It will get worse before it clears up again, unless we heat back up. Hopefully we hold water temps in the mid 60’s as once it drops to around 61F the clarity drops to a few feet (generally this doesn’t happen in the north and middle basins to the degree it does in the south basin.  When that happens, tactics & lure colors will have to change and I am uploading those changes today in the fishing report. 
 
MIDDLE BASIN WATER TEMPERATURE: 61.4F this morning heading out towards the Youth Camp on Sept 2 at 6 AM….61 7F at 9 AM. The temps are perfect for trolling the buoy line off the north side of Pelican Pt however it was still fairly weedy for trolling on 9-2. TROUT HAVE ROUNDED THE CORNER AND ARE IN DELTA BAY AND A LOT OF 1.5 TO 2 POUNDERS IN THE MIDDLE OF BUCKS BAY! 

NORTH BASIN WATER TEMPERATURE:  60F TO 61F on 9-2 The north basin is still reachable by boat no matter what you have heard. There are a few well marked rock piles on the way.  There is enough water to ski, wind surf, swim and recreate just fine. Mariners Resort, restaurant, lounge, store and RV park have been and are fully, CLICK HERE FOR MARINERS RESORT END OF SUMMER LUAU ON SEPT 4!! & LIVE MUSIC IN THE EVENING!

SEE RAMP CONDITIONS FOR BLY TUNNEL UPDATE AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP!!
 
ALGAE & WEED LOCATIONS: 
Algae is over with however, we can still see patches of it occasionally even into December.  We are seeing a lot more weeds on the surface this week and globular algae near Wildcat Pt & the middle of the S basin though. The globular algae is dark and can foul your hook…if you drag a line through a few hundred yards of it chances are you best check your hook. ….keep a good eye out for it….fish eat some vegetation while eating the bugs that live on them…just not when the weeds are wrapped around your bait or lure. There was some brown algae on the surface in the bay on the west side at the base of Pelican Pt today but the west side was in good shape. Bucks Bay was very weedy and is 4.5 to 5.5 ft deep…plenty of smaller trout in the middle but the moss beds are also being strung out from the bottom by birds so it will be tough for trollers. …. But drifting a worm under a bobber is doable for sure…. Very weedy on the west side between Rocky Pt and Spalding…but I did see a few trout there as well but more in Bucks Bay. See the fishing report for more details. So, by and large, the northern basins are pretty weedy but there are channels that have less. The south basin has areas that have more weeds, some scattered globular algae’s & a slight change in the clarity of the water from the temperature drop. Once the south basin stays at or below 64F for a few days the color will increase…..by 61F you will not be able to clearly see the bottom in 4 ft of water!
 
WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS COPY/PASTE IN THE MAY 28TH ISSUE.   
  
ALL EAGLE LAKE, ALL THE TIME
© REGISTERED(this is the real deal… Copyright ©® 2004-2010 by the author, Valerie Aubrey. The website’s www.eaglelakefishing.net and www.eaglelakefishing.info, All Maps, Articles and Photographs contained therein are copyright protected and are published exclusively on the Internet by the author and may not be copied, displayed, reproduced or published in any other form without the express written permission of the author who reserves all rights. Viewers may print for personal use. Commercial use of any map or story is strictly prohibited without permission. Any “free Map” from our websites must be a permitted copy for commercial redistribution. Material supplied by others is the copyrighted property of the respective authors. Re-use of any articles, maps and photographs on Eagle Lake Fishing Information and Network without written permission by the author(s) for any purpose is strictly prohibited. We have a tendency to check some publications and newspapers for plagiarism.
COMMERCIAL USE FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.

The “Reel” Weather
9-2-10
®REGISTERED ©COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

FISHING SEASON WILL CLOSE DECEMBER 31, 2010
Our blog and views are not those of our advertisers, our advertisers support the best fishing report for Eagle Lake as well as free speech, not views or perspectives represented on this website.
8-22-10 NEW LAKE ELEVATION LEVELS ON RAMP AND LAKE CONDITIONS PAGES
VISIT VALERIE AUBREY ON FACEBOOK
VISIT “EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS” ON FACEBOOK!

CATCH AND KEEP RECOMMENDATION POSTED BY CDFG
Temps not applicable now as we have seen a drop of several degrees. See Lake Conditions for current water temps for each basin.

LASSEN COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT 911 TO ALL BOATERS.
BUOY LOCATIONS AND GPS LOCATIONS, LIGHT STRUCTURE AND MAP WITH ALL INFORMATION

NEWS AND ISSUES

LASSEN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ARE TRYING TO GET SOME OF THE GRANT MONEY AVAILABLE TO PERFORM AN EXTENSIVE WATER STUDY INCLUDING HOW WE ARE AFFECTED BY AG WELLS ON OUR AQUIFER, & CLOUD SEEDING FOR LAKE ALMANOR. LETS JUST WAIT AND SEE IF THAT HAPPENS AND IF IT DOES, WHO WILL BE PERFORMING THE STUDY? WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHO GETS “PUT IN CHARGE” OF THE STUDY. WE WILL CONTEST CERTAIN QUALIFIED PEOPLE IF CHOSEN TO DO THE STUDY. WHY? WE WILL GET AROUND TO THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES.
 In our experience this resembles putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.
ALL GUARDIANS OUR FIRST CALL TO ARMS: PLEASE WRITE THE LASSEN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND ASK THAT THEY EXPEDITE THE GRANT PROCESS FOR THE WATER STUDY FOR EAGLE LAKE. THE ADDRESS IS 707 NEVADA ST, SUSANVILLE CA, 96130
 
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Lassen Nation Forest improved the bike trail and parking lot at Eagle Lake Marina by doing a nice chip sealing job.  The chip sealing job at the marina and on most of the bike trail looks very nice and should last a good long time.  There is still more gravel (chipped rock) stored so it looks like they might be moving along to Aspen.  The light grey chips are very attractive depsite first appearance that it is loose gravel....it is stuck very well and it is a nice upgrade that was needed.
 
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LNF also improves access to the Pine Creek Estuary (Slough) and the mouth of Pine Creek Fred's Road accessing the north side of the Slough was closed off as planned two years ago.  Finally the improvements for the access to the south side of Pine Creek at the Lake are finished with a beautiful pale pink gravel that produces little to no dust.  Several turnouts for parking to access the shoreline have also been installed.  The road in begins at the Strand leading to Spalding launch facility.  The road does end at the Y where it used to wrap back around to the water district in northwest Spalding.  That spur is now closed to vehicles and that area was enlarged for parking and turning around.  That's where you stop and walk to the lake for any fishing.  Fishing is not allowed in the Slough or Estuary only on the lake side of the mouth of the creek during the fishing season.  But, just as soon as we get 8 to 10 ft of water, the walk won't be so long for those dragging kayaks or pontoon type float tubes in excess of 45 pounds.  But the fishing can be terriffic in that entire stretch when we have more water.  A walking trail will eventually tie in at the egg collection facility but the current improvements are very nice.
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NOTICE TO ALL WHO CARE ABOUT EAGLE LAKE AND WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
JOIN EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS ON FACEBOOK! YOU CAN LEAVE US A MESSAGE FOR SIGNING UP!
EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS IS A NEW NON PROFIT TO HELP SAVE EAGLE LAKE OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO ASSIST AND ENHANCE EAGLE LAKE WATER LEVELS AND WATER QUALITY FOR OUR UNIQUE “HERITAGE” TROUT!!  
“EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS”
!WE ARE UNITED AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!
MEMBERSHIP ONLY $15
AND YOU WILL RECEIVE A MEMBERSHIP CARD SHOWING YOU ARE AN EAGLE LAKE GUARDIAN!!
THE STATE HAS RECEIVED OUR BYLAWS AND WE ARE NOW ON THE NEXT STEP WHICH WILL KNOCK OUT TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE AND WE’LL BE FINISHED AND WILL FORM THE ACCOUNT UPON RECEIVING OUR NUMBERS. WE WILL BE LINING OUT THE MAILING ADDRESS AND CREATING A PRINTABLE MEMBERSHIP FORM FOR OUR VIEWERS TO SPREAD AROUND. WE ALSO ACCEPT EMAILS WITH NAME AND ADDRESS ETC.
GUARDIANS ALREADY SIGNED UP YOUR FIRST CALL TO ARMS IT TO WRITE TO LASSEN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND ASK THEM TO EXPEDITE THE GRANT PROCESS FOR THE WATER STUDY FOR THE EAGLE LAKE BASIN. 707 NEVADA ST, SUSANVILLE, CA 96130…WE SUGGEST TURTLE MAIL
EAGLE LAKE GENERAL STORE PLANNING A FUNDRAISER RAFFLE ON SEPT 4 @ 3 PM. 
DONATIONS WILL GO TOWARDS HELPING FORM THE NONPROFIT “EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS” OF WHICH IS PROGRESSING AS WE SPEAK. 
JOIN THE OTHER ANGLERS WHO DARE TO CARE AND WE ARE IMPRESSED AT THE NUMBER OF INTERESTED FOLKS. GIVE US A WEE BIT OF TIME AND WE SHOULD HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER BY THE FUNDRAISER.
For more information
CALL 530-249-1430 OR EMAIL VAL eaglelakefishing@yahoo.com
OR SEE REBECCA AT THE ORIGINAL EAGLE LAKE GENERAL STORE
530-825-2191
RAFFLE GIFTS FOR THE RAFFLE CAN BE DONATED AT THE GENERAL STORE!
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BLY TUNNEL
SEE LAKE CONDITIONS FOR NEW COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE BLY TUNNEL 6-15-10
SEE ADDITIONAL STATEMENT BELOW UNDER “OTHER STUFF”
PUBLISHERS NOTE REGARDING SOLVING THE BLY TUNNEL ISSUE:

I BELIEVE THAT WE THE ANGLERS CONCERNED ABOUT EAGLE LAKE NEED TO FILE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF THE COMPLAINANTS (the only ones who can or someone else on their behalf) ON BLM, CDFG AND THE STATE WATER RESOURCE CONTROL BOARD AS WELL AS THE INDIVIDUALS WHO CLAIM WATER RIGHTS TO EAGLE LAKE WATER. IF THE PIPE AND FRACTURE DON’T AMOUNT TO A LOT OF WATER, WHY HAS IT BEEN SO DIFFICULT FOR THE PEOPLE TO HAVE THE FLOW DECREASED (VALVE TURNED OFF) UNTIL THE LAKE RECOVERS? …OR EVEN A BRIEF REPRIEVE UNTIL THE LAKE RECOVERS?  I AM TOLD BY A QUALIFIED PERSON THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AS WELL AS A FIX. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM IS HOW DOES THE LAKE CLAIM HER OWN LEGAL RIGHTS TO HER UNIQUE AQUIFERS EVEN THOUGH THE GOVERNMENT STATES THAT NO ONE CAN CLAIM EAGLE LAKE WATER? WELL, APPARENTLY THE LAKE CAN NOT SPEAK FOR HERSELF WHICH IS WHY SHE NEEDS GUARDIANS TO HELP. AS THE LAKE LEVEL NOW LOOMS AT A HISTORIC ELEVATION DATING BACK TO THE 1950’S.  IN ADDITION TO LOSING MORE WATER (ESTIMATES OF 12 INCHES BY NOV) BEFORE ANY POSSIBLE WEATHER COMES IN WE MAY DROP TO ELEVATIONS NOT SEE SINCE THE 1930’S. SO WHY WOULD THE AGENCIES WANT TO KEEP THE “SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER” FROM FLOWING OUT OF THE LAKE AND SACRIFICE THE TOURISM DOLLARS UNLESS THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN MEET$ THE EYE?  
 
EAGLE LAKE AND HER PROBLEMS WITH THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE AS TO WHY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON’T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT.   AS FOR THE BLY TUNNEL AND “SEEPAGE”, SEEMS TO ME THAT TOO FEW PEOPLE BENEFIT FROM USING A NATURAL RESOURCE BELONGING TO ALL THE CITIZENS. THE VISUAL “FLOW RATE” OR “PROFESSIONAL GUESS” IS NOT HARD SCIENCE AND MANY TOOLS AND FORMULA’S EXIST FOR BETTER ACCURACY. CONSIDERING THE ACTUAL FLOW RATE THROUGH THE PIPE IS DEPENDENT ON THE LAKE LEVEL, HIGHER FLOW RATES DURING YEARS OF HIGHER LAKE LEVELS WERE NOT A PART OF THE EQUATION…ONLY THE LOWEST LEVEL LAST FALL WAS USED. SO BACK TO THE SAME OLD BUSINESS AS USUAL AND THAT IS IF THERE IS NO SCIENCE THERE IS NO PROOF ONE WAY OR ANOTHER TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH WATER IS LEAVING EAGLE LAKE. BUT, AS PER THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS, EAGLE LAKE WATER, NO MATTER HOW LITTLE OR MUCH, BY LAW IS NOT TO BE USED AND IS TO REMAIN IN THE LAKE….THIS WAS DETERMINED WELL BEFORE BLM INSTALLED THE PIPE AND VALVE. ALL THE DOCUMENTS SAY THAT PRETTY MUCH WORD FOR WORD IN THE EAGLE LAKE BASIN PLAN. SO WHAT WE HAVE IS ONE SIDE SAYING WE HAVE THE WATER RIGHTS, AND THE OTHER BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT SAYING NO ONE HAS ANY RIGHTS TO EAGLE LAKE WATER. SO WHAT ONE IS IT? WELL, THAT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK. THE FACT THAT A COURT ORDER SAYING EAGLE LAKE WATER IS TO REMAIN IN EAGLE LAKE AND ALL HISTORIC WATER RIGHTS HAVE BEEN REVOKED IS BEING IGNORED BY ALL EVEN THOUGH IT IS ALL OVER THE EAGLE LAKE BASIN PLAN APPROVED BY ALL THE AGENCIES. SO, THIS IS THE FIRST THINGS WE NEED TO CLEAR UP AND THAT MEANS BE WILLING TO GO THE DISTANCE TO PROTECT EAGLE LAKE ….GOING HALF WAY WON’T COUNT THIS TIME FOLKS OR WE WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN MATTERS INTO OUR OWN HANDS WITH THE HELP OF MANY OTHERS…NOW OR NEVER WE WILL BE THE “HEART OF EAGLE LAKE” (SEE OUR LOGO IN PROGRESS ON THE RIGHT SIDE BAR NEAR THE TOP).   
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?   THIS MATTER IS MOST CERTAINLY AFFECTING THE “MATTER OF PUBLIC TRUST” IN OUR AGENCIES AND THE LONGER IT IS DELAYED THE MORE PUBLIC TRUST IS LOST AND MONEY SPENT AND WASTED AND THE LAKE KEEPS DOING DOWN. THE ONLY ONES NOT TAKING HOME A PAYCHECK IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ARE THE VERY PEOPLE WHO OWN EAGLE LAKE TO BEGIN WITH, AND THAT IS WHY IT IS CALLED “PUBLIC PROPERTY” THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY TYPE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OR “RIGHTS” TO A PUBLIC NATURAL RESOURCE THAT WAS ALTERED BY MAN WITHOUT CONCERN OF THE VERY HABITAT DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE ACT.   THE BLY TUNNEL VALVE SHOULD BE CLOSED & THE FRACTURE SEALED UNTIL THE TIME THAT IT IS NEEDED FOR AN ADDITIONAL GOVERNMENTAL CLAIM OF PREVENTING HIGH LAKE ELEVATIONS FROM DAMAGING PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY…that of which will take more than one good winter…. UNFORTUNATELY, EVERYTHING I HAVE SEEN SAID THAT THE VALVE WAS TO BE CLOSED IN YEARS OF DROUGHT….SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE, SOMEONE GOT GREEDY AND WANTED MORE OF EVERYTHING FOR THEMSELVES.   I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP EAGLE LAKE WATER IN EAGLE LAKE AS STATED BY LAW. THOSE PROFITING FROM THIS SOURCE OF PUBLIC WATER, SHOULD PAY THE PUBLIC FOR THE WATER THAT MAY HAVE BEEN SOLD OFF UNDER GUISE OF SPRING WATER WITH A pH of 8.4. IF THEY ARE UNWILLING, THEN THEY SHOULD DRILL SOME AG WELLS AND DO IT THE SAME WAY EVERYONE ELSE IN THE NATION HAS TOO…CONSIDER IT AS NOTHING MORE THAN IMMINENT DOMAIN TAKING BACK WHAT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS IN THE LAKE …NOW, WHO DO YOU THINK LASSEN COUNTY WILL HIRE TO DO THE STUDY? WELL, THERE ARE NAMES WE WILL ACCEPT FOR CONDUCTING THE STUDY, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR QUALIFICATIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS / COMMENDATIONS MIGHT BE.  WE KNOW WHO WE CAN NOT TRUST FOR AN HONEST STUDY AND IF AND WHEN THE TIME COMES, WE’LL LET THAT CAT OUT OF THE BAG AND WHO ELSE MAY SOMETHING TO GAIN. IN THE MEAN TIME, THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT JOINING THE EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS AND TOGETHER WE’LL GET THE JOB DONE!
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IF YOU WANT TO LEND YOUR VOICE TO THE LAKE, JOIN EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS.

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WHY ARE WE NEEDING TO DO THIS: The northern basins of the lake account for roughly 2/3 of the surface acreage of the body of water. In spite of that, it also is the area which contains nearly all the “tules” & many moss beds … a lot of habitat for the food chain for the trout has already been lost and losing more water & habitat is going to result in changes in planting the trout… at least by conversation this has been considered…all the wildlife agencies blame boaters on the reduction of the grebes including swamping their nests with boat wakes from near and far….well, the agencies nearly removed all the tule habitat for nesting areas by allowing the lake level to drop so low that there aren’t many tules left in the water for them to nest in… and I don’t think the sportsmen and women had anything to do with that.   Just wait and see what happens next season if we don’t get much water over the winter of 2010/2011 folks… The northern basins of the lake account are now between 5.3 ft deep over a hump between Spalding & Rocky Point and 8 to 9 feet deep just before reaching the trough north of Youth Camp & P Pt. Bucks Bay is not much more than 4 ft deep between Rocky Pt & Buck Pt…nearly ½ way down the points the water is 5 ft deep….then once you meet up with the tip of the point there is 6 ft.... Just be careful driving your boat in towards the homes as the entire Bay is a shallow slope to that 4 ft level…by fall it will be 1 ft less in depth. …round Rocky Pt to Spalding marina and it’s 4.3 ft deep for hundreds of yards before hitting a depth of 5.3 ft before reaching the ramp at Spalding. Simply the area in acreage reduction if the lake continues to drop will cause a reduction of fish because of the competition for food as well as area…CDFG has already made that statement publically.   Despite a deep hole off Eagles Nest, the south basin is full of shallow ledges…once these are out of the water (some only 3 to 5 ft on top stretching ¼ to ½ mile from shore right now…so the lake will only be able to support so many fish…it isn’t rocket science….Just wait and see what happens this fall with the spur of the moment decisions. We will lose another foot of water by October so fish planting off Rocky Pt in Bucks Bay will only be a grand feeding frenzy for the pelicans as the trout will have nowhere to hide, nowhere to go, little to eat and miles from any water deeper than 10 ft.  Last year 150 Pelicans hung out there for weeks feasting on the little trout that knew nothing of where to go but back to shore where the truck left ‘em…..and where the Pelicans had them concentrated into dense numbers and simply scooped ‘em up as many at one time as they could capture.

NOTE: AT 48 TO 54 INCHES PER YEAR EVAPORATION(?) & 6 TO 8 INCHES INCREASE OVER WINTER WE HAVE ABOUT 2 YEARS WORTH OF WATER IN THE MIDDLE BASIN LESS IN THE NORTH BASIN. …INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, OUR EVAPORATION RATE HAS INCREASED QUITE A BIT OVER AVERAGE…OF COURSE THAT HASN’T BEEN EXPLAINED OR WHY EVERY PLACE ELSE GOT WATER BUT WE GOT LITTLE TO NOTHING? INCLUDING THE SPRINGS AND WATER TABLES? …HOPEFULLY THE “HONEST” WATER STUDY WILL SHOW WHY. I KNOW THE DISHONEST ONE WON’T.
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CLICK HERE FOR BLM'S DECISION NOT TO MAKE A DECISION
 
CLICK HERE FOR EAGLE LAKE WATER BUDGET. MAYBE WE SHOULD REQUEST PAYMENT FOR OUR LAKE WATER????  STONES LANDING AND THE NORTH BASIN WILL BE LOSING A LOT OF MONEY IF THAT END OF THE LAKE ENDS UP EMPTY IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.SAME WITH SPALDING.  PROPERTY VALUES WILL BE TANKED.  RECREATION AND FISHING WILL BE ALSO BE AFFECTED…however, the south basin can lose water and the government will make sure you are well taken care of but there will be no other choice than to reduce the yearly allotment simply for the area of the lake decreasing.  THIS IS YOUR LAKE FOLKS AND IT IS BEING RAPIDLY TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU. 
 
Who gets the lake water downstream? Ask LC board of Supervisors…up until lately, two of them, another rancher buddy upstream from them, the state of CA made a “wildlife” area for duck hunting access three days per week…by season pass…oh and keeping the water flowing thru because the demand on Willow Creek water for other uses is greater than it can provide alone…but is it all going local, or heading off somewhere else? There are fish in Willow Creek, it…and a couple people have fished it occasionally but is that fishery a big money making draw to Lassen County? No, I don’t think so. Wouldn’t you think that if it was that important of a fishery needing protection, that the ranchers and government agencies would be happy to eliminate water usage to naturally enhance the creek & fishery? Instead, the water that should be staying in Eagle Lake is used to keep the water flowing. The “rights” to water from Eagle Lake were removed around 1935 and revisited on many occasions since….and were found not to exist each time…at least that is what the environmental documentation and the Eagle Lake Basin Plan reiterates. But, every agency including local, state and federal had to agree to the pipe & agreed to not turning it off in years of drought. Therein lies the problem and it extends out in every direction imaginable and ends somewhere you could not imagine.  In order to “save their asses” their only way out without explanations is to “not make a decision”….the water keeps flowing (not only thru the pipe, but thru the fracture too) and the lake keeps going down…. The only thing that will help is a massive snowfall in winter, similar to 1992/1993….and at this point, that amount of moisture would pull the lake out of her slump but by the of that season, we would be right back to 5100ft (which is much better than 5096.0ft as the lake is now) but hardly her prime. Why wouldn’t the agencies want to help Eagle Lake by sealing the fracture and turn off the valve? Is there something we are not being told? Where has all the water gone? Join our forces to save Eagle Lake for the future. Our decision is obvious and we are going to have to do what it takes to get it done..
 
This is the document that BLM refers to in their water budget regarding the water rights to Eagle Lake water.  NOTHING FOR YOUR TAX DOLLARS AND ARTIFICIALLY CREATED HABITAT (IE Willow Creek Wildlife Area) and lake water enhancing Willow Creek water flow for irrigation for alfalfa and cattle ranches downstream (benefitting only those who are selling the beef and alfalfa grown with Eagle Lake water????) OVER RULES PROTECTING THE NATURAL HABITAT OF EAGLE LAKE.  NOW THAT JUST SHOWS YOU HOW MANY FOLKS ARE JUST RAPING THE LAKE FOR MONEY…FUNNY HOW YOU DON’T SEE ANY OF THAT MONEY GOING INTO IMPROVEMENTS FOR LAUNCHING, FLOAT-TUBE AND KAYAK ACCESSES, DAY USE AREAS? IT MIGHT NOT BE IN DOLLARS WHERE IT STARTS, BUT IT SURE LOOKS THAT WAY WHERE IT ENDS…AND THAT DOESN’T APPEAR TO BE IN PUBLIC INTEREST.  IT APPEARS THAT THE PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE BACK THEIR LAKE & WATER FOR IT. 
 
NEW BLM BOSS: Ken Collum of Cedarville has been chosen as the new Eagle Lake Field Manager by the Bureau of Land Management, with responsibility for overseeing more than one million acres of public lands in northeastern California and northwestern Nevada. 
Revisiting the past pollution at Eagle Lake by Lassen National Forest
 
NEW LNF SUPERVISOR  “Jerry Bird, previously the Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Huron-Manistee National Forests in Cadillac, Michigan since 2005, has been selected as the new Forest Supervisor for the Lassen National Forest.  Bird has completed an acting assignment as Director of Forest Management for the Forest Service region out of Atlanta, Georgia.” From LNF Press Release 7-28 (LNF seems to have difficulties keeping a main supervisor in place very long)
 
This will be a series of facts from what we have found, photographed and written about since 2004/2005. We have many new viewers who might feel a little lost in translation of why it is necessary that we do what we do regardless of the repercussions and rumors. We have heard quite a few rumors that are, like in any small town atmosphere where small people talk about what people heard we said, NOT what they read that we wrote. Ignorance is bliss, no doubt. But, it is also not an excuse for spreading false information. Photographs show the reason we have to do what we do regardless of being hated by the gross polluters and their associates.
Why Merrill Creek and the “unimproved springs” reduced flow dramatically after …
 
Pollution or not 1  Revisiting the Past. Rising suspicions.
 Pollution or not 2Just what were they putting in the water?
 
MORE coming soon
Just how bad the sewage ponds were and are and why LNF waited soooooo long to do anything…Sorry for the wait, I have been quite busy with other things. I am getting it together so you can see how bad the ponds were…then you know  why LNF didn’t document any inspections. Sorry for the delay…too many things on my plate lately but I am working on it folks!
 
AT THE SOUTH END OF THE LAKE, THE ISSUES BELOW CONTINUE
As a viewer put it after reviewing the above document “I can’t believe they leave themselves an option to do absolutely nothing”. Well folks, THAT is normally what causes the problems to begin with and appears to be how some folks approach doing their job up here. It is also a clause in BLM’s approach to the problem at the Bly Tunnel. Your tax dollars are hard at…well…..”work” isn’t exactly what I was thinking.
LNF CHOSE NUMBER THREE ON THE LIST AND CONTINUES TO DO NOTHING (INCLUDING WHAT APPEARS TO BE INSPECTIONS AND PATCHING OF LARGE HOLES IN THE POND LINER WITH ROCKS PENETRATING THRU FROM BELOW….SAME AS ALL THE REST OF THE HOLES…WHICH ALSO REMAIN FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN PHOTOS.
 
  
PART THREE IN MY SERIES OF ARTICLES WILL SHOW YOU HOW BAD THE CONDITIONS WERE AND ARE UP AT THE SEWAGE PONDS AND IT’S COMING SOON.
Someone once asked me “just what will get you off the back of LNF?”  My answer is quite transparent; all they have to do is comply and stop polluting, denial is not an option and the photos show the real situation so inaccurate statements are not an option…just fix the problem and stop wasting energy they could be using to get the job done.  (NOTE: Not every department in LNF is as bad as their engineering staff and some supervisors in charge of these engineers….I am amazed that some of these people who not only allowed the system to get into such degraded shape but who appeared to have questionable test results and monitoring well results, are going to be in charge of building and maintaining a new additional facility as well as repairing the old one so both are online.  In other words, those who did not do their job and maintain the current system nor document any inspections are going to be in charge of building, maintaining and inspecting a new facility.) Personally, from what I see, not one of them has been capable of maintaining a darn thing, let alone building a new system…kind of like being a taco short of a combination plate. One thing they are good at … is spending a lot of energy and a lot of money on disclosing opposing information on their own behalf.  Sounds something like a cover up of sorts now doesn’t it?  I always find it amazing how the legal documentation can be changed so easily…and it is even more amazing that the people in the positions of doing something about it…..never do, which makes them part of the problem, not a part of the solution.
 
AS OF 6-24 THE LNF SEWAGE PONDS ARE STILL FULL OF HOLES BELOW THE SEWAGE LINE AS WELL AS AT THE SEWAGE LINE. LNF HAS NOT EVEN “PATCHED” THE EXISTING HOLES, THE OLD TORN PATCHES OR THE NEW HOLES. MORE ROCKS CONTINUE TO PENETRATE THROUGH THE ROTTEN LINERS.  THIS IS THE SEWAGE FROM THE CAMPGROUNDS AND THE MARINA…IT’S YOUR SEWAGE THAT LNF IS ALLOWING TO CONTINUE TO DRAIN THROUGH THE HOLEY LINERS IN THE ENVIRONMENT YOU COME TO ENJOY…WELL, ENJOY KNOWING YOUR SEWAGE IS NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF PROPERLY FOLKS…FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS AND COUNTING!!!
 
9-2 Some holes were patched since our last visits, others were left and the rotten brittle liners remain. No other “work” has been done regarding the sewage pond liners and their condition, nor has any other progress been made in the area.
 
Think about all that Eagle Lake has given you in all the years you have known her. She has a beautiful trout, abundance of wildlife, unimaginable views and even something much deeper for many of us, something that we can’t explain. Don’t even try; it is just her way of letting YOU know that she chooses your presence. Now, what have YOU done for her? What have you given back to the lake? Zero? One? Or are you satisfied to continue to rape her like the government does?YOU CAN CHANGE THAT BY JOINING THE “EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS” AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! But first lets worry about the water leaving the lake, then we will worry about what may be coming in from the flat on Merrill Mountain.

In the past we have met with intimidation, false statements and threats to sue us for taking pictures or talking to visitors as well as hearing other false rumors about us….all because of what we “do”. … and certainly the future will hold more of that. However, we have nothing to gain by what we do, other than saving the lake for the future which is our only concern.  Polluters & those taking our lake water and their dependents are not my enemies.  The lake reserves that term for herself. Do we care what the polluters think? No, we don’t care one bit and it is time that someone does something for the lake rather than just take, take, take. Join  "Eagle Lake Guardians" email the link with your name, address and contact information.  OR call or come into the ORIGINAL EAGLE LAKE GENERAL STORE IN SPALDING AFTER 2PM AND SEE REBECCA. WE ARE READY TO ROCK THE HOUSE NOW FOLKS!! TOGETHER AS ANGLERS BONDED WITH A COMMON CAUSE, COMMON SENSE (that being Eagle Lake and her beautiful trout) we can give the lake a bigger voice as well…she is screaming and no one else is listening…she needs us more now than ever. Think about what talents you have that can help. Doing your duty as a citizen is more powerful than you can imagine and for a start, simply responding makes you a guardian.  EAGLE LAKE GENERAL STORE IN SPALDING IS HAVING A LABOR DAY RAFFLE TO SUPPORT THIS NEW NONPROFIT PLANNED FOR SEPT 4 @ 3PM!! WE SHOULD BE HALFWAY THERE AND WILL NEED YOUR HELP!! RAFFLE GIFTS FOR PRIZES CAN BE DONATED AT THE GENERAL STORE.  
 
YOU NOW HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE… SAVE THE LAKE & HER WATER OR KEEP BUYING LIGHTED BUOYS FOR LASSEN SHERIFF DEPT & CA BOATING & WATERWAYS AS THE LAKE LEVEL CONTINUES TO DROP? WE NEED TO SAVE THE LAKE TO INSURE THAT THERE IS A FISHERY TO ENHANCE IN THE FUTURE…FIRST AND FOREMOST.

We no longer support CIFFI’s (California Inland Fisheries Foundation, Inc) Project Eagle Lake Trout at least until the money comes back to the lake and not a slush fund for DFG projects that should have been done long ago without the use of donated money. (Remember, we were original founders of PELT).
 
Sorry to have gotten you all hyped up about saving the lake through CIFFI as it doesn’t look like it will happen so we are starting over again only as our own nonprofit to enhance Eagle Lake water levels and water quality. That is another reason we no longer support Project Eagle Lake Trout…how many more comforts for CDFG do you want to pay for…how many more lighted buoys would you like to by for Boating and Waterways for LC Sheriff Dept? Help hatcheries with ELT planted in other lakes? Slush fund for a livable storage shed for CDFG planned on not abiding by any “livable” building codes but fully intend to have someone stay in it during the “spawn” at some point. Eagle Lake got lost in the greed of others. (did our lady retaliate by not providing CDFG with more than 2 million eggs this spawn when they really wanted closer to 6 million?) Unless we get some snow or water flowing down the creek in spring, the spawning trout won’t be able to make it to the trap next year…what will CDFG do when they can’t get their desired amount of eggs? Where does Eagle Lake stand in that equation….planters from broodstock? Becoming a slush fund for CDFG or providing comforts for HUMANS was not our intent…our intent was to help the lake and the fish, not the people using it. Remember that when there is no lake, there will be no fishery to “enhance” but protecting the lake is NOT on the agenda of CIFFI. Once the money left the fish, the lake and Pine Creek and the tributaries and CDFG (and others) wanted more for themselves & long overdue projects, we willfully backed out (just as fast as possible) of supporting the project that is getting “steered” way off course. Let them spend that money on everything that was long overdue in the first place. We have a job that needs done and plan on getting to work along with the help of all the anglers who want to help Eagle Lake. Chances are that we won’t get any federal or state matching funds considering what we have in mind to do. So we need as much of your help as possible in the Guardians.
 
The bonus trout WAS a good use but CDFG determined that there are enough fish in the lake and limits the number of bonus fish we can get even though they know we have quite a few losses to catch & release…until we get some water, don’t expect CDFG to increase that amount. Generally I see the numbers listed in pounds…generally around 2500 to 5000 pounds which doesn’t translate to 2500 or 5000 fish….the bonus fish are generally between 2 and 3 pounds on a good year…everyone likes to catch a nice trout, but we have plenty of trout in the 2.5 to 3 pound range already in the lake…catching a fresh hatchery slug isn’t a sportsman’s cup of Joe but CIFFI & DFG think it promotes a positive fishing experience…maybe so for those who don’t know. Bailing out and funding CDFG is not what we intended when founding Project Eagle Lake Trout with CIFFI however, they can certainly do what they want…..  
 
 We decided it was time to get back to taking care of the LAKE…she got lost in the money trail somewhere. As the lake level looms at low historical levels our first concern is keeping every drop of water in the lake that is going out…saving the lake has to come first, our other projects can wait…we will still have the availability to do bonus fish ….but let’s have a lake to put them in first. Let’s see what fall water quality brings and if/when cdfg pulls the catch and keep recommendation….planting fish under stress from traveling a couple hours in a tank truck to be planted will surely be under similar stress as one caught and released…maybe even more so.  I don’t believe that Rocky Point is going to be suitable for planting trout this fall…if so, it will only be a feeding frenzy for the pelicans in water around 3 to 4 ft deep, several hundred yards from water 5 to 7 ft deep and over a mile plus to water 10 to 20 ft deep.
 
IF YOU WANT TO GET BACK DOWN TO THE BUSINESS OF SAVING AND PROTECTING EAGLE LAKE….JUST LET US KNOW AT. eaglelakefishing@yahoo.com or come into the General Store in Spalding after 2 PM and talk to Rebecca.
 
HELPFUL LINKS FOR NAVIGATING OUR NEW FORMAT
MARINER’S RESORT IS THE ONLY AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTER OF OUR FREE MAP (IN BLACK/WHITE)
FISHING REGULATIONS

“THE WEATHER”
AND "OTHER STUFF"
 
EAGLE LAKE GENERAL STORE NOW OPEN
Come in after 2 PM to talk to Rebecca about becoming an
Eagle Lake Guardian 530-825-2191
Or Visit Eagle Lake Guardians on Facebook & join up there!
 Join “Valerie Aubrey” on Facebook

NOTE REGARDING THE WIND: A noticeable change in the wind pattern so far this year. Our wind gusts have routinely exceeded what NOAA has predicted by 7 to 17 mph. Kayaker’s and float tube/pontoon users are going to have to keep a good eye on the predicted wind direction and speed this season…and the lower the water gets, the more these types of setups are going to be used by those who have them. Always have a backup plan and if you tubers use stocking foot waders with fins, tie your boots on your apparatus because you may need to walk back. Kayaker’s, consider your vehicular accesses in case you need to beach your craft and have a tow rope if you are close enough to walk back along the shoreline…tubers should have backpack straps clipped on or stored in your tube…and to all fishing in small boats, kayaks, tubes or pontoons…if you have never worn a PFD while fishing, this is the year to do so. You can buy a nice lightweight suspender type/CO2 auto-charged inflatable PFD for less that $100 and it is well worth the investment.
 
NOTICE TO VISITORS AS WELL AS SEASONAL RESIDENTS REGARDING ANY MEDICAL PROBLEMS OR EMERGENCIES AT THE LAKE… No one is transported from Eagle Lake by GROUND AMBULANCE… it is all by air. I advise purchasing the flight insurance through REMSA The flight insurance pays for whatever your other health insurance doesn’t cover…& those with no insurance … $40 is cheap for your life...  If you get flown out choose Reno, Redding or Chico hospitals

Those of you staying down south at the campgrounds, count your blessings CDF and LNF have properly trained crews to respond to your needs but can make it to Spalding in 15-20 minutes or so if they are not already on a call. For parents: if your kid(s) get injured or in a bike accident…Urgent Care is better for simple things and is located behind the hospital…but they are closed at night but no matter where you go if you need a blood test chances are you will have to wait a day or two before you get the results.
 
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AIR QUALITY: Good, all mountains are visible.  If we do see a local fire or more often we get smoke from fires further away that settle into the basin. This can cause problems with those folks with breathing problems. It can also hamper navigation on the lake.   If we do see any smoke coming in that would cause any problems we will update it here as soon as possible. 
 
WEATHER....OR NOT 9-2-10

Yesterday we warmed up to 88F and the wind was light to nothing most all day long. The low temp was 34F.
 
Today we woke to clear skies & a light breeze from the northwest. Our high temp topped out at 84.4F and our low only dropped to 38.4F. The breeze finally picked up and shifted a little more to the northeast at 8 to 11 mph with a gust to 16mph so far today. 
 
Friday we are again expecting sunny skies and our high temp is expected to reach 87F. Winds are expected to be calm early but come up from the south at 5 to 10 mph before shifting to the southwest at 10 to 15 mph Our low temp only expected to drop to 45F overnight but I expect to see 38 to 40.
 
Saturday we are expected to be sunny with a high temp of 83F, low at 45F. Wind from the southwest at 10 to 15 mph with gusts possible to 30 mph. Lake advisories are posted for small crafts when gusts are expected to reach 30mph so be careful not to get caught out on the water when the gusts come up that high….and that can be early…..my guess is if gusts are predicted to be 30mph I will bet we will se 37 to 40 mph gusts locally….that has been the trend all season. We may see some clouds in the afternoon.
 
Sunday is expected to be “BREEZY” as NOAA puts it. Gusts are not posted yet on NOAA for Sunday but if it’s going to be breezy, the day is probably going to start out that way from the get go. Our high temp is expected to only reach 74F and the low is expected to drop to 38 which means we may have a little frost on the windshield at O-dark-thirty AM…..wear an extra layer when going out early on the pond… 
 
Monday, mostly sunny with a high of 77F
Tuesday, mostly sunny with a high of 73F
Wednesday mostly cloudy with a high of 64F….

ALL EAGLE LAKE, ALL THE TIME
  © REGISTERED
Copyright C 2004-2010 by the author, Valerie Aubrey. The website’s http://www.eaglelakefishing.net/ and www.eaglelakefishing.info/, All Maps, Articles and Photographs contained there in are copyright protected and are published exclusively on the Internet by the author and may not be copied, displayed, reproduced or published in any other form without the express written permission of the author who reserves all rights. Viewers may print for personal use. Commercial use of any map or story is strictly prohibited without permission. Any “free Map” from our websites must be a permitted copy for commercial redistribution. Material supplied by others is the copyrighted property of the respective authors. Re-use of any articles, maps and photographs on Eagle Lake Fishing Information and Network without written permission by the author(s) for any purpose is strictly prohibited. We have a tendency to check some publications and newspapers for plagiarism.  
 

COMMERCIAL USE FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.
Val’s Eagle Lake Fishing Report
© Registered 2004-2010
FISHING SEASON CLOSES DECEMBER 31, 2010
9-2-10
HOME OF THE ORIGINAL EAGLE LAKE FISHING REPORT.
PHONE or TEXT 530-249-1430 OR MOBILE EMAIL
VALERIE AUBREY ON FACEBOOK
VISIT “EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS” ON FACEBOOK!

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JULY 27, 2010 WATER QUALITY TEST
Water temps not applicable now.
*****NOTICE TO ALL ANGLERS*****
CDFG POSTS CATCH AND KEEP RECOMMENDATION
NOTE: STRAWBERRY CONDITION IS NO LONGER CALLED DISEASE
Please release tui chub and suckers alive as they provide the food for the trout and balance to the lake

LASSEN COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT 911 TO ALL BOATERS.
BUOY LOCATIONS AND GPS LOCATIONS, LIGHT STRUCTURE AND MAP WITH ALL INFORMATION
Be very careful around Miners Pt rock piles. Also a very dangerous location on the Plateau between the Youth Camp and Biology Station. 
Rocks are approximately 13 inches below the surface @ N 40 37.717 X W 120 44.089 (magnetic reference)
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******EAGLE LAKE GENERAL STORE IS OPEN******
 EAGLE LAKE GENERAL STORE IS HAVING A RAFFLE TO DONATE TO THE STARTING UP OF A NEW NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION TO
HELP SAVE EAGLE LAKE (forming of the nonprofit is already in motion and on a fast track) WE ALREADY HAVE SOME REALLY NEAT RAFFLE PRIZES AND YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE PRESENT TO WIN. WE HAVE NOT ADVERTISED THE FUNDRAISER LOCALLY BECAUSE OF OTHER FUNDRAISERS GOING ON. HOWEVER, OUR FUNDRAISER GOES TO SAVING THE LAKE …THE OTHER DOES NOT. NEXT SEASON WE WILL WILL DO MORE ADVERTISING…THIS IS JUST A SPUR OF THE MOMENT FUNDRAISER SO WE HAVE SOME WORKING CAPITAL SO WE CAN GET BUSY!!
“JOIN THE OTHER EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS”
!WHO DARE TO CARE!
MEMBERSHIP ONLY $15
WE WANT TO WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE OUR NUMBER BEFORE TAKING MEMBERSHIP FEES…WELL SURELY LET YOU ALL KNOW….AND OUR LIST KEEPS GROWING AND THE DATABASE IS BEING BUILT AS WE SPEAK!!
ALL EAGLE LAKE GUARDIANS WE HAVE YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT AND CALL TO ARMS. WE NEED TO YOU TO WRITE TO THE LASSEN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND ASK THEM TO EXPEDITE THE GRANT PROCESS FOR THE WATER STUDY FOR THE EAGLE LAKE BASIN. THEIR ADDRESS IS 707 NEVADA ST, SUSANVILLE, CA 96130
JOIN THE OTHER ANGLERS WHO DARE TO CARE
For more information
CALL 530-249-1430 OR EMAIL eaglelakefishing@yahoo.com
OR SEE REBECCA AT THE ORIGINAL EAGLE LAKE GENERAL STORE
530-825-2191

SEND US YOUR EAGLE LAKE TROUT PICTURES!!
Quite possibly we may be looking at a lake level not seen since the 1930's before fall and already on August 22, the elevation dropped to 5096ft elevation…lower than the low water in 2009.  Rock piles are going to seem to pop up out of nowhere 1/2 mile or MORE from shore, there will be too many for me to add many GPS points but the Lassen County Sheriff Department has some buoy locations dialed in for you in the link above. These cover some of the major accident areas but there are plenty more that will take out a lower unit if you are not paying attention. On this lake, you see the water color change dramatically, so always be looking as far ahead as you can while motoring around.   The "Plateau" off the Youth Camp (straight out from the osprey nest) and Biology Station (the “hump”) is going to have some dangerous spots well away from shore as well as Miners Pt and Little Troxel not to mention the west side of the south basin and Pelican Pt which have historically caught folks by surprise.  There are now 100 buoys marking rocks and hazards but there are others that remain unmarked. Stay between the buoys marking Pelican Pt and the Youth Camp. Historically both claim their share of boats and/or lower units & props. WE DO HAVE PLENTY OF WATER THAT ISN’T QUITE AS HAZARDOUS and we have been catching quite a few solid fish down south!
 
OUR NEW SPECIAL EDITION MAP WILL BE COMING OUT SOON. 
OUR FOR SALE VERSION WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE FROM GARMIN MAP PRODUCTS FOR 2011!!
 
Links to Information regarding Eagle Lake trout in Eagle Lake from CDFG  
CDFG FREEZE BRAND IDENTIFICATION DATA
Trout planted in 2007 are probably 19 to 20 inches long in 2010 as per KAREN.
CDFG 2004-2009 TRAP DATA
Average lengths of trout coming through the trap on Pine Creek
Data collected from anglers during the season
WE HAVE REQUESTED THE 2010 TRAP DATA FOR YOU HOWEVER CDFG HAS NOT HAD TIME TO LOG THE INFORMATION IN THE COMPUTER.
 
BITE TIMES
BITE TIMES FROM MY GPS. THIS SECTION IS POSTED JUST FOR FUN.
TIMES ARE ONLY POSTED FOR OUR LEGAL FISHING HOURS. 
Thursday, September 2
Excellent: 6:16 AM to 8:16 AM and 6:36 PM to 8:33 PM
Good: 12:36 PM to 2:36 PM
Friday, September 3
Excellent: 7:24 AM to 9:24 AM and 7:44 PM to 8:32 PM
Good: 1:44 PM to 3:44 PM
Saturday, September 4
Excellent: 7:24 AM to 9:24 AM and 7:44 PM to 8:31 PM 
Good: 1:44 PM to 3:44 PM
Sunday, September 5
Excellent: 8:38 AM to 10:38 AM  
Good: 2:58 PM to 4:58 PM
Monday, September 6
Excellent: 9:55 Am to 11:55 AM
Good: 5:35 AM to 5:55 AM and 4:15 PM to 6:15 PM
 Tuesday, September 7
Excellent: 11:12 AM to 1:12 PM   
Good: 5:36 AM to 7:12 AM and 5:32 PM to 7:32 PM
Wednesday, September 8
Excellent: 12:29 PM to 2:29 PM
Good: 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM and 6:50 PM to 8:24 PM

GENERAL DISCUSSION, SOUTH BASIN: Big change in water temps! Water surface temps down to 64.3 to 65.6 on 9-2 on south side of Pelican Pt and the Youth Camp/Biology Station and a few more pods moved into the general area. The size of trout off the biology station were smaller ones 15 inches and less long…that will change in the coming week or so. But, the size of trout off the south side of Pelican Pt have been between 2 and 3.5 pounds this week. The bite was a little slower today but the trout readily took my brown wooly buggers over anything else this morning…to the point where I only ran one rod for quite some time.  There are good numbers of trout off the south side of Pelican Pt but they were a little sluggish early but finally came on to a good but light bite between 8 and 9 AM. In order to move to the south side of Pelican Pt and into the biology station/youth camp area the trout have to move over the top of Miners Pt rock pile or around it off Slough Pt.  So if you find that the trout scattered or disappeared from your scope off Black Mountain and Eagles Nest including Wildcat & Lake of the Woods, start fishing higher in the water column or move onto the ledges or closer to shore. All our fish have been coming out of 6 to 8 ft of water….10 to 12 ft later in the day. Most of the fish that had been hanging out at 25 to 30 ft deep in 45 plus feet of water have scattered….many moving north over Miners Pt rock pile but others simply move into the ledges closer to shore….at that, the west side ledges have fished very well for those venturing in close and shallow. Shrimp Island and the cove just south of the point are holding good numbers of nice trout in 6 to 14 ft of water….being caught at 6 to 8 ft deep. Slough Pt and the rock pile that is just out from the point has a few fish now mostly on top and around the edge of the rock pile and into the cove towards Shrimp but they were very spooky and the best action came from dragging a line 130 to 150 ft behind the boat.

 The cooler water temps have already caused a slight decrease in “clear” visibility to the bottom in the shallow rock piles, a reduction from 10 to 8 ft…shadows of rocks were visible at 10 ft but looking through cloudy water…8 ft had better definition of the rocks. The water temps stabilized and have only increased a few tenths of a degree in the south basin.  If we continue to cool down, the visibility will only get worse until it gets better….but for now, I think we can hold on for a while before trollers might need to start using flashy lures, attractants, flashers and dodgers which will be seen over a lonely little lure or fly…or go to dragging bait or leaving that scent trail.  As for the trout in the depths: The cooling water temps and loosening thermal-clines did get the attention of the trout and they are on the move. Although a fairly large number of trout moved onto the south side of Pelican Pt and the north side of Miners Pt, there are lazy resident trout that inhabit the depths…some of the larger fish are generally found there when all the “little guys” leave for a new adventure & a change in scenery and food. When water temps begin to cool we often find trout closer to shore laying on the bottom in 9 to 12 ft of water…even when they move out, they often stay pretty close to  the same depth and close to the top. For the last four weeks I have not fished any deeper than 14 ft and haven’t hit water any deeper than 21Ft….most all my fish are coming out of 6 to 8 ft of water right close to the bottom…I hit the deeper stuff on a turn.Shrimp Island to Wildcat Pt right off the first ledge which drops from 8 to 15 ft is producing the most action for that location now over the deeper water. Basically a lot of the trout moved in off the first ledge and have been foraging the shallows.    A few moved up off Slough Pt this week but it was like the trout just blew by that hole on their way to the humps and bumps on the south side of P Pt. So work your way north you’ll find some scattered pods and schools of baitfish…late in the morning by all means move out to 20 to 30 ft just to mix things up. During the fall change the trout get restless and spooky when it comes to boats and top water fishing. Be sure to get your lines out 130 to 150 ft behind the boat for trollers….spooky fish need that extra 50 ft before coming back in where you may have moved them off their feeding beds. Also always make a pass in both directions….often our trout get directional depending on the conditions and just because you don’t catch one trolling north to south doesn’t mean you won’t catch one trolling south to north. if that doesn’t work…head into shallower ledges. Minnow imitations have been hammered all week on the west side ledges & the humps and bumps off the south side of Pelican Pt. But today it was all on brown wooly buggers.  For bait fishing nightcrawlers use an attractant on the worm… Garlic Trout Gravy (Eagle Claw brand) has been the trout’s choice over a naked unscented nightcrawler. (once the clarity of the water goes to hell, trollers will need to go to applying attractants to their lures, flies or grubs. ….or add some beads for clacking, flashers for flashing or dodgers for dodging. Trolling nightcrawlers or still fishing crawlers becomes more successful than other methods.   The fish are either going to have to smell you or hear your terminal tackle no matter what it is. I generally go to lures or trolling flies that have a lot of white or beige on them for this transformation.
Not all the trout leave the deep water and the summer haunts. The deeper holes generally hold resident fish year round, they just move up & down the water column by water temperature and dissolved O2.…generally even in December we catch them from 6 to 24 ft deep…but other fish migrate around the lake and it is quite normal to find the trout on the move at the first drop in water temperatures.   Each day fished a little different the last few days, but if there was a routine that worked for us it was staying on the shallow rock piles & ledges early in the morning. We hooked up a fish on just about every pass but the trout were hitting us pretty light this morning and are boating ratio ended up a little higher than 50% on flies. If you are limited by a small boat & motor and have to fish further south, all you have to do is move into the first ledge off Lake of the Woods and work water 6 to 15 ft deep and your bait or lures at 6 to 8 ft deep. You might have to move around a couple times until you find the “hole” so locate the fish first.  If you are not scoping trout and you feel like they all disappeared from the deep water…just go into the ledges and see what happens….all the first drop in water temps do is drive the fish to the ledges first.   However, we have seen a large movement north of Pelican Pt this week. Since we have some warmer days coming in the week we may see a slight increase in the water temps on the north side of P Pt but I don’t think it will last very long and running the buoy line on the north side has been a “hot” spot in the last couple years….and most likely will be this year too. Since most larger boats are having to launch in Spalding now some of you have never had the pleasure of getting to know Pelican Pt or the Youth Camp/Biology Station…well, there is no better time than now….just be very careful there are several dangerous areas that do not have buoys on them…you can generally see the water color change where there is a rock pile.  
WATER TEMPS STILL DOWN!!  The water temps have only risen by the tenths of a degree but we still have a couple of days more of warmer days before a cooling trend comes by. So far we are still looking at 65F +- a few tenths…so that’s very good.  The fish know the days are getting shorter and fall is on its way but they won’t be leaving close proximity to water 20 to 30 ft deep now that water temps have been in the mid to high 60’s for the last couple of weeks.   The water temp north of Pelican in the middle basin and Bucks Bay have been holding at 60.5 to 62.6 later in the day. Fish have rounded the corner and some are currently holding out in the middle of Bucks Bay. …if water temps heat back up again we may see them move out to the deeper channel( 7 to 9 ft deep) between Rocky Pt and the Youth Camp. So, keep an eye on the water temps because between the water temps and the solstice rapidly moving towards fall the fish are going to get restless and eventually many more will vacate the depths and move in to the shallow ledges. Fall is here and the trout are on the move…the large school in the middle of Buck’s Bay only appeared to be 1.5 to 2 pounders…nothing spectacular but they are trout and they are there. Trolling will be tough as there are a lot of weeds on the surface and the depth is between 4.7 and 5.8 ft deep where the trout were. Nothing close to the shore on Rocky or Bucks Pt…only out in the middle of the Bay….could have been a timing thing as I was there looking at around 9 AM. 
 
HOTTEST LURES/FLIES/GRUBS IN THE SOUTH BASIN:  LURES & PLASTICS: Sure Catch’s Red Dog (large & medium double jointed) and medium Goldie Locks (my personal favorite for orange) & Gator., Good old gold standard Needlefish (small & medium size right now) in florescent orange/silver or pearl back, fire, perch, red-dot frog & crocodile & cop car.  Grubsin cinnamon/amber, brown, florescent orange, pumpkin seed (beige w/burnt orange flash)  & watermelon {watermelon has been the best color combination this season but the redder the red, the better over pinks}).  Uncle Larry’s fire and perch with ½ a nightcrawler (dark half seems to work the best) has also been quite affective. TIP FOR UNCLE LARRY’S…change out the hook to solve the problems traveling across other lines.   BERKLEY GULP MINNOWS IN BLACK SHAD, WATERMELON/PEARL 2 ½ INCH LONG ARE WORKING GREAT FOR THE PLASTICS.   Naked nightcrawlers …shorten it up so when the fish does strike, it will hit the hook instead of stealing your worm or tail.   For the bait, using an attractant has been the ticket for us…Garlic trout gravy (Eagle Claw garlic trout gravy has been preferred over nothing). However, I don’t generally apply it to all the bait at first…just to see how the trout are behaving that day…sometimes it can become a fish repellent… but in general it works pretty well. TROLLING FLIES:  J Fair Tui Chub, Cinnamon leech, J Fair Special, The Hot One (florescent/burnt orange) & High Mountain Lakes (olive wooly buggers)… Brown Wooly Buggers were the flavor of the day on 9-2.  Nothing wrong with Arctic Fox or other trolling flies in similar patterns either. I always have different variations (bright & flashy and dull and dismal (dull & dismal are my Plain Jane series) in the water until finding just the right one for the day…and believe it or not, one variation in color or flash will work better one day than the next so I like to keep an assortment from dull plain Jane’s to flashy & bright (the Las Vegas showgirls)…. If there is a trick to trolling flies it is to keep your hooks sharpened and check the line above the hook for abrasion after every landed trout because their teeth damage the line above the hook and hold on to your rod…when the rod jerks, jerk back…hard & start crankin’.  Be careful removing the fly with needle nose pliers as they are more often than not, tied with very small, fragile thread that breaks easily and is shredded by the teeth of the trout….I use “big fly” thread…and can catch 30 or more fish on one fly if I don’t lose it in the rocks.
 
STILL FISHING DISCUSSION:  We do have resident trout at the Springs and Eagles Nest as well as off Black Mountain as well as Wildcat Pt and Lake of the Woods…but the fish are beginning to scatter and forage along the shoreline a lot more this week. The summer is loosening its grip on the lake and the thermolclines appear to be widening bringing the trout back up higher in the water column and scattering the massive schools into smaller migrating pods. If the trout seem to suddenly disappear from your scope at 25 to 30 ft, start running a freeline….the trout do move up in the water column when things begin to change…but they can also move out completely overnight. We have regularly catching trout 7 ft deep  in 7 to 9 ft of water however we are still seeing some pods between 18 and 24 ft deep when they do head back out for more minnows. I would be freelining over fishing a set depth on a slip bobber this week. Cover the water column and have the flexibility to move in shallow (freelines not advised in water less than 12/15 ft deep. Unless you use a freeline that has “fireline” spooled up, it is not a good option in shallow water.  Fireline has floating properties and is workable to some degree in shallow water but in the depths it can out-float a crawler and prevent it from dropping to the right depth. FYI on that.
 
Generally the rising trout will take a worm or lure on the surface now that the hatches are coming on a little later in the AM. We are heading into fall at a very fast pace now.   Generally the trout rising are taking  fly emergers. First  hatch is the midges, secondly caddis then mayflies…thrown in the mix are the small schools of speckled dace that swim in small family schools near the surface….the rising trout are not as suspicious of a worm or lure near the surface in fall as they are in summer…and fall is here.  If you are fly fishing from a boat, good casts are critical because our trout get line shy in a hurry…you might catch one, but you will drive the others away and waste a lot of time without a strike…don’t wait, move ASAP after a few empty casts.  Use an indicator if you are slapping the water and let it rest for several minutes before stripping it back in….allow the trout to move back in…if you are slapping a lot of water chances are you will move the trout just out of range. Being able to throw a long line (65 to 70 ft) will help…and yes, there is a way. Ahigh profile this time of year is the biggest mistake people make, especially when the trout are active. There is a big difference between bait guides and fly fishing guides when it comes to fly fishing…often just knowing where fish are doesn’t help if you don’t know what fly they are taking by the way the trout rise to take them. It’s a learned method for consistently catching Eagle Lake trout on a fly.
 
Fall is coming and just around the corner and the hatches will begin to slow down and get later in the morning. You will still see trout on the surface  very early in the AM but they will be chasing minnows & leeches….that’s when you can successfully target the rising trout with bait, lures or nymphs.
 
SHORE FISHING, FLY FISHING AND ACCESSES FOR ALL:

SHORE FISHING DISCUSSION: Depending on the water temps staying low or lowering I plan on fishing off my float tube from the shore next week…just to see what happens. If all goes well, I still do not want to encourage anyone to come up to catch and release until CDFG pulls the Catch and Keep Recommendation or water temps drop to the low 60’s. Shore fishing will be coming back on before too long. Right now there is a window of opportunity but it has been a variable one…that will change soon…. you still need to launch a tube or kayak to reach the deeper.  The fish we are catching shallow are still quite a way from shore and the fish are still staying close to 20 to 30 ft of water. At this time, you still need to be able to access that deeper water but that will change…. Possibly in the next week or twos….hopefully by Labor Day Weekend!  Typical baits/setup used are nightcrawlers under bobbers and nightcrawler/powerbait or marshmallow (or foam) floater combination from the bottom. Fish will begin to spend a little more time foraging the shoreline once water temps stabilize at and around 65F… More action on shore when temps drop to 64F and less. SEE TIPS & TRICKS for detailed set-up suggestions.
 
Tubing and kayaking is not simply limited to fly fishing, I fish any type of method  it takes to catch fish from my tube. Shore fishing will get better but until then it will be a matter of perfect timing until a little later in fall.   Wildcat Point (drive relatively close to the water but still walking in) can also be productive and if you use a slip bobber  (water filled or heavier weighted bobbers will get further out from shore) you can cast to the drop off and exceeding 10 ft deep…bait set for 5 to 7/8 ft. unless the wind is blowing…then go down to the bottom and float your worm up a foot or so with foam, marshmallow or a floating dough bait. (Dough= powerbait type baits, nuggets, eggs etc.). You will need hip boots or waders to get your line out deep enough now…but it will be improving once water temps drop a few more degrees. The Youth Camp & biology station generally start fishing pretty good and other than a drive around the lake from Spalding, the access can get you very close to the water and your options are good with shallow rocks and deeper ledges where the trout go on a warm fall day. It won’t be long now.
 
FLY FISHING DISCUSSION: Water temps cooled off over the weekend and the trout have been in close and in 5 ft of water early in the AM. I will be taking my tube out from shore this week, just to see what happens. At this point I do not want to encourage catch and release fishing until CDFG removes the catch and keep recommendation. But most folks trolling the shallow ledges are catching limits and could easily catch and release and pick & choose, however, we don’t want that just yet. Limits to eat YES, by all means….catch and release…no please.  Water temps cooling off overnight along the shoreline and the  window of opportunity lasted several hours today. We are finding some nice fish in 5  to 11 ft of water using brown and olive wooly buggers, mini minnow imitations & scuds along the rocky points on the west side of the south basin.  If you want to take home a limit you can catch ‘em fly fishing but you will have to be prepared to do it from a boat, kayak or tube hit the best fishing ledges…walking into the Osprey Management Area is still off limits until September 15th. Until they stop all together they hatches will get later and later…. We have three hatches in the morning. Midges are very successful and they hatch before the caddis but the black caddis overlap the midges. After the caddis the mayflies hatch and once again, trout begin to surface.  Right now I will be using leech & minnow imitations….once the water temps drop below 60F I’ll be throwing on that florescent orange wooly bugger.

We support CDFG catch and keep recommendation however, If you must catch and release, GO BARBLESS AND SHAKE ‘EM OFF LONG LINE WITHOUT HANDLING & DON’T FIGHT THEM TO DEATH. We are seeing  some STRAWBERRY CONDITION AND DON’T RECOMMEND A LOT OF CATCHING AND RELEASING RIGHT NOW. CDFG HAS POSTED THE CATCH AND KEEP RECOMMENDATION.  Strawberry condition generally infects released fish first and foremost and began showing up on a few fish several weeks ago and it continues to this day. Note that strawberry condition is only a skin rash caused by stress, it does not affect the meat below the skin. If I were to continue to catch and release  I would rather be able to give them some slack so they can spit the hook before exhausting themselves or before I have to handle them. Barbless is the only way I would catch and release until fall.  However, I support the recommendation for catch & keep. Wait until fall when CDFG normally pulls the voluntary recommendation.

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NORTH AND MIDDLE BASINS: The middle basin off Spalding holding between 61 and 62 degrees on 9-2. …FISH HAVE ROUNDED THE CORNER ON THE NORTH SIDE OF PELICAN PT AND ARE CURRENTLY IN BUCKS BAY TOO. These fish are very spooky and you need to be at least 130 to 150 ft behind the boat if you are trolling. The trout appeared to be on the smaller side between 1.5 and 2 pounds which is normal for the first fish to round the point and head north from Pelican Pt. It is very weedy for trollers at this time, but drifting a nightcrawler under a bobber would work fine….again, get it away from the boat. Nothing was close to shore, everything (trout) I saw was out in the middle and in water no shallower than 4.5 ft deep at 9 AM. …the first run to the north are generally smaller fish …which is what I saw….but once we get another cooling trend passing through I believe the numbers and sizes will increase…… and t 61 to 62 degree water temp that runs from Spalding to about ½ to ¾ of a mile from the tip of P Pt, I doubt we will see  temps go back up enough to drive the northern fish south but you never know….I do believe that we will see more trout round the corner of Bucks Pt and head to the narrows in the next week or so. So, the water temps are down to the low 60’s in early AM and trolling the northern buoy line off the north side of Pelican Pt should be holding more fish. The trout might not go much further north from their current location or into the remaining tules along the airstrip or further north towards Stones for a few weeks or so however, they have been known to do just that in spite of water quality….how long they stay is a different story altogether.  Our trout have been notoriously and predictably unpredictable and do the last thing anyone thinks they will do. (that’s why I tootled into Bucks Bay on a trout scout & being mid morning I started out in the middle and worked my way towards shore over the scattered meager moss beds visually looking for the trout)
HOTTEST LURES/FLIES/GRUBS:Brown & olive wooly buggers, florescent orange & tui chub minnow imitation trolling flies. Needlefish: Florescent orange/silver or pearl back , fire, cop car and other similar spoons as minnow imitations running 6 to 8 ft deep in 7 to 14 ft of water early in the morning.  Sure Catch  Red Dog (large),Goldie Locks & other colors that have white or pearl and resemble minnow or baitfish.  Rainbow runners have also held their own in similar colors as needlefish….tip for Rainbow Runners…change the hook before using…you’ll lose fish and the hooks are semi-brittle & break when touching a rock. Grubs in WATERMELON cinnamon, brown,pumpkin-seed& florescent orange behind action discs. Minnow imitations IE Berkley Gulp 2 ½ & 3 inch minnows in Black Shad & watermelon/pearl.   Dark brown, cinnamon & tui-chub minnow trolling flies... wooly buggers continue to get more attention for me than the leech patterns the last few weeks..especially on the tough days.  Watermelon has been a good color combination the whole season.   Uncle Larry’s fire and black perch with ½ a nightcrawler (dark half seems to work the best) has also been quite affective…TIP: change the hook on uncle Larry’s too.  On 8-30-10 the tui chub minnow imitation trolling flies had all the attention under partly to mostly cloudy skies and slightly colored water off the south side of Pelican Pt. On 9-2 all the action was on brown wooly buggers in 5 to 7 ft of water.

SHORE FISHING, FLY FISHING AND ACCESSES FOR ALL:

SHORE FISHING DISCUSSION: Depending on the water temps staying low or lowering I plan on fishing off my float tube from the shore next week!! …just to see what happens. If all goes well, I still do not want to encourage anyone to come up to catch and release until CDFG pulls the Catch and Keep Recommendation or water temps drop to the low 60’s. Shore fishing will be coming back on before too long and once we get this next “warming” trend over with, the shore fishing will have a longer window of opportunity.  Right now there is a window of opportunity but it has been a variable and seemingly short one…that will change soon…. you still need to launch a tube or kayak to reach the deeper water if you don’t get your limit early.  The fish we are catching shallow are still quite a way from shore and the fish are still staying close to 20 to 30 ft of water. At this time, you still need to be able to access that deeper water but that will change…. Possibly in the next week or twos….hopefully by Labor Day Weekend but I fear the water temps might be jerked around a little late this week…but I would love for the lake to prove me wrong!  Typical baits/setup used are nightcrawlers under bobbers and nightcrawler/powerbait or marshmallow (or foam) floater combination from the bottom. Fish will begin to spend a little more time foraging the shoreline very soon. SEE TIPS & TRICKS for detailed set-up suggestions.
 
Tubing and kayaking is not simply limited to fly fishing, I fish any type of method  it takes to catch fish from my tube. Shore fishing will get better but until then it will be a matter of perfect timing until a little later in fall.   Wildcat Point (drive relatively close to the water but still walking in) can also be productive and if you use a slip bobber  (water filled or heavier weighted bobbers will get further out from shore) you can cast to the drop off and exceeding 10 ft deep…bait set for 5 to 7/8 ft. unless the wind is blowing…then go down to the bottom and float your worm up a foot or so with foam, marshmallow or a floating dough bait. (Dough= powerbait type baits, nuggets, eggs etc.). You will need hip boots or waders to get your line out deep enough now…but it will be improving once water temps drop a few more degrees. The Youth Camp & biology station generally start fishing pretty good and other than a drive around the lake from Spalding, the access can get you very close to the water and your options are good with shallow rocks and deeper ledges where the trout go on a warm fall day. It won’t be long now.
 
FLY FISHING DISCUSSION: Water temps are cool enough for several hours in the mornings for nymphing scuds and wooly buggers…. HOWEVER….I do not want to encourage catch and release fishing until CDFG removes the catch and keep recommendation. But most folks trolling the shallow ledges are catching limits and could easily catch and release and pick & choose, however, we don’t want that just yet. Limits to eat YES, by all means….catch and release…no please.  Water temps cooling off overnight along the shoreline and the  window of opportunity lasted several hours today. We are finding some nice fish in 7 to 11 ft of water using olive wooly buggers, mini minnow imitations & scuds along the rocky points on the west side of the south basin.  If you want to take home a limit you can always catch ‘em on top on the hatch, but you will have to be prepared to do it from a boat, kayak or tube to access the deeper water before or after the fish head out. We have three hatches in the morning. Midges are very successful and they hatch before the caddis but the black caddis overlap the midges. After the caddis the mayflies hatch and once again, trout begin to surface.  

We support CDFG catch and keep recommendation however, If you must catch and release, GO BARBLESS AND SHAKE ‘EM OFF LONG LINE WITHOUT HANDLING & DON’T FIGHT THEM TO DEATH. We are seeing  some STRAWBERRY CONDITION AND DON’T RECOMMEND A LOT OF CATCHING AND RELEASING RIGHT NOW. CDFG HAS POSTED THE CATCH AND KEEP RECOMMENDATION.  Strawberry condition generally infects released fish first and foremost and began showing up on a few fish several weeks ago and it continues to this day. Note that strawberry condition is only a skin rash caused by stress, it does not affect the meat below the skin. If I were to continue to catch and release  I would rather be able to give them some slack so they can spit the hook before exhausting themselves or before I have to handle them. Barbless is the only way I would catch and release until fall.  However, I support the recommendation for catch & keep. Wait until fall when CDFG normally pulls the voluntary recommendation. We are hoping for current water tests but doubtful if they have been done this week. We will make ANOTHER request for information but we don’t generally get it from our local biologist, we end up getting it from his boss….which I don’t think is very happy about it.
           
ACCESSES FOR KAYAKS AND FLOAT TUBES:
I have scanned a map section and lined out the roads into Wildcat. If you have questions let me know, I can email it to you.
 
Go to teraserver and download some printable topo maps of the area (for free) and they are quite accurate for the roads.  Google Earth is a good resource to see what you are getting into.  Note that very few signs with usfs road numbers are visible and it is easy to get lost if you are expecting to find them. REMEMBER THAT THESE ROADS ARE NOT FOR PASSENGER CARS, I RECOMMEND A VEHICLE WITH HIGH CLEARANCE AND 4x4 IS A PLUS IF IT RAINS OR SNOWS…HOWEVER, I HAVE MADE IT IN IN TWO WHEEL DRIVE ALL SEASON and I expect to continue to be able to do so until the snow flies.  The accesses for kayaks and float tubers for the most part, these are relatively limited, unnamed and unmarked and it will be a walk down to the lake (to access the best fishing) no matter where you go except Eagles Nest, the Youth Camp, Christie Beach & the Circus Grounds.  For those of you rolling your kayaks down remember it is uphill back to your vehicle when you are all tuckered out.  THIS AREA IS ALSO EASY ACCESS TO GOOD FISHING IN THE DEEP WATER AS IT IS NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE SHORE. AS TIME GOES ON AND LAUNCHING WORSENS AT THE SOUTH END….THIS MIGHT BE THE ONLY PLACE FOR SOME FOLKS TO FISH COME FALL….AND IT HAS BEEN FISHING GOOD ALL SEASON …and as the shallow waters cool off the trout will move right back in close…generally starting at around 68F but for certain at 64F and less. 
 
There will be no foot travel access to the Osprey Management Area (LAKE OF THE WOODS) until after September 15 so it will depend how fast or how far you can go from the access point (generally during the summer we find trout all along the ledges and tubers will be able to get to deeper water in late summer...but it's going to take some work). To be honest, there are always fish between Christie Day Use and Wildcat Pt…both with shorter walks to the lake.  However, kayaks can easily access the Osprey Management area from launching at Wildcat Pt. This area can also be accessed from the Spalding transfer station at the end of Mahogany Way, but you need to stay to the left at the Y. That is the road that boarders the Osprey Management area...be prepared to breath in alkali dust and anything in the back of your truck will be covered with it… when it rains, you need to stay on the high road for several hundred yards as water collects in the ditch of the road until the terrain flattens out. Staying to the right at the Y will take you out in the middle of the Brockman Lava Beds and the power lines…basically out in the middle of now where…but plenty of predators out there at Oh-dark-thirty AM. I really want to repeat that there is No entry into the Osprey Management Area until Sept 15th, this includes walking. 
 
Roads leading to Wildcat Pt begin near and across from the old Glen Eagle Airstrip west of Christie Campground. The first road is right before the old Bob Cervanek A-frame which accesses Little Merrill Creek area and passes by the old Eagle Lake Resort (CURRENTLY PRIVATE PROPERTY PLEASE DON’T POKE AROUND, IT IS NOT ABANDONED) if you stay to the right, stay left and you meet the road that accesses the north side of Wildcat Pt….you should not drive to the lake shore but it is a short walk. If you cannot locate or print out a map let me know, I have a scanned image with the roads and locations highlighted. Most of the dirt roads do not have any numbers on them, but LMUD (utility) numbers and quite a few roads allow you to drive in circles while others simply dead end out in the middle of no man’s land to a dead end (old fire fighting roads).   North of Wildcat Pt is the Osprey Management Area otherwise known as Lake of the Woods...some of the best fishing in summer happens just out from Lake of the Woods where the ledge drops from 24 to 50+ ft deep. So the west side of the south basin is easily accessible by boat or kayak but a long way for a tuber but there is plenty of good fishing water for a tuber at Wildcat Pt. These roads are not for passenger cars…light trucks okay...two wheel drive is also okay…just follow the paths around the standing water that remains in the winter ruts…it is soft and nasty right now. Fall and winter driving conditions definitely differ from those we currently have.
 
SHORE ACCESS FOR THE EAST SIDE OF THE SOUTH BASIN: Eagles Nest and the Youth Camp are relatively easy accesses and you can drive close to the water. If I were driving in, I would most likely to the Youth Camp/Biology Station or Wildcat Pt at this time as I believe there are higher concentrations of fish. There is a parking lot just past Camp Ronald McDonald with a nice trail down to the gravel bar. This area can access “the springs” and water 30 to 55 ft deep by tube, personal pontoon or kayak. Eagle's Nest and the Youth Camp are the access points for the east side and you can drive close to the lake shore there...making launching small crafts like tubes and kayaks much easier...and we are already seeing a nice school of fish off Eagles Nest.  For those of you who are new to driving into the Youth Camp & Eagles Nest, it can be deceiving until you know where you are going.   Also, there is a parking lot just past Camp Ronald McDonald and a trail leading down to the gravel bar. This is a relatively easy walk down with a tube and can access 30 to 50 ft of water easily.
There are two accesses to the tules off the airstrip in Spalding, one north of the airstrip on the rocky point (still have to walk, driving in and along the lake shore is discouraged), and one on the south end at the end of The Strand. There isn’t a lot of water in this area anymore and water temps are high. For now, best head south for better action and good quality meat…generally once the water temp drops to and below 64F we can see some trout return…but there is a lot of tule habitat missing this year.
 
Fall is here and despite a warm day here and there we can expect to begin to cool down. 
 
ALL EAGLE LAKE, ALL THE TIME
 © Copyright C 2004-2010 by the author, Valerie Aubrey. The website’s www.eaglelakefishing.net and www.eaglelakefishing.info

 

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