• 393 online report submissions were tabulated by Putah Creek Trout between January-December 2008. The vast majority of fish caught were Rainbow Trout; less than 10 total Brown Trout were reported as caught.
• Thirteen surrounding counties were represented (Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Lake, Napa,  Marin, Sacramento, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo); 3 reports came from Out of State fishers.
• Average time fished= 4.57 hrs (1795 total).
• Average catch=2.55 fish (1002 total). 
• Average catch per hour= 0.56 fish.
• Wild Fish made up the bulk of the catch in every month except April and September (after plantings of catchable hatchery fish took place).
• Wild fish= 78% of the total caught outside of the April and September planting of hatchery fish. 68% overall were wild fish.
• Wild fish sizes were spread over the full reporting range of <6 to >20, with larger sizes reported primarily between January to March and November to December, coinciding with the Rainbow spawning season. Fish <15 made up the majority of the wild catch from June through October, indicating a good crop of first year fish from the earlier spawn.
• Reported satisfaction was generally at least average (2.5), in spite of requiring 2 hours on the average to catch one fish.
• Some common additional comments posted included reports of illegal fishing activity (overlimit take, out of season bait use), trash on the creek, making the creek C&R year around, and planting fingerlings to boost wild populations.

This information is being provided to DFG for their use in conducting evaluations of the fishery. DFG reported close to 200 additional paper surveys were submitted; that averages close to 50 total reports per month.

For the start of this year, the number of reports are way down. Last year over 50 online reports were recorded for both January and February. This year there were less than 15 for each month. So, either fewer people are fishing this year or fewer are taking the time to make reports (or both). We encourage you to take the time to fill out a report, either online or at the boxes. We need data from multiple years to support the DFG evaluation, so please complete one on each trip to the Creek and encourage the other fishers you run in to do the same.

Our thanks to all who have contributed to this collection of data over the past year and we hope it will continue.

Putah Creek Trout

Please ignore that smiley face-Keith will have to fix it