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Post Info TOPIC: How About A Fresh Idea To Help Lake Solano?
Bonk


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How About A Fresh Idea To Help Lake Solano?
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I am primarily a kayak fish, but I also fly fish Putah.  On occassion I like to paddle Lake Solano if not only to get outside and L.S. is close.  I have a fish finder on my yak and have been really surprised by how much of a wasteland L.S. has become in terms of fish.  Obviously the stocking is what held up the populations, but I am of the opinion now that the trout fishery at L.S. is pretty much dead, gone, as in nada.  I mark fish on the FF and see a random lone trout every now and then but mostly carp near the dam, thats it.

IMO the futures of the fishery at Putah is linked to Lake Solano whether we want to believe it or not.  It is not a coincidence that the fishery in Putah has declined so much when Lake Solano fishery is pretty much completely gone.

There has got to be something going at L.S. that is either nefarious or not understood.  I see small minnows.  The carp at the dam seem to be thriving, but basically from the main "bait fishing" spot up from the dam all the way to the headwaters, Lake Solano is a fishing wasteland.

What is going on?  Why isn't L.S. supporting a native population of anything other than carp?  I have spent enough time on L.S. to officially declare the bass population gone.  I know they "used" to be there, they are simply not there any more I can assure you of that.

So what are peoples thoughts?  Why is Lake Solano such a fish wasteland?  It seems like a lake with a few side arms, good cover, decent flow of incoming oxygenated water, and seemingly plenty smaller bait fish around, and even some frogs in the warmer pockets / side channels.  With the bass gone there is nothing that is a predatory force on the lake.  Where are the trout or any predatory fish population for that matter?

I would love it if they made L.S. CnR only as well.  At first I was against it, but if that actually meant that the fishery would recover back to at least "something" I would be all for it.  As it is now, L.S. is nothing but wasted water space.

Any ideas on helping out Lake Solano or theories as to its complete and total decline to nothing?

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Otter


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Just wondering if you have a depth finder on your kayak? My theory and experience is that the silt has reached Lake Solano. If you have fished the area below the island you know that this area has filled in. The area just below the island at #5 used to be a great area for dry fly fishing. With all the silt my guess is the bug habitat is gone. We know the big caddis are gone what next? One good thing is the big fish are somewhere else during the summer.... Lake Solano is now a weed choked silt lake. I personally would be fine with the DFG planting the lake only. This would keep the bait fishers and many others happy.

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chris
hobbs


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If a stocking program isnt in place on heavily used fisheries then they cant support a bag limit. Thanks to this wonderful law suit you are right, Lake Solano and Putah should be C&R only in order to have a chance at a self sustaining fishery. Bring back the stocking program and maybe you could bring back a bag limit. As I have mentioned before, a slot limit would have also done a lot of good on Putah IMO.
I also agree, siltation is a major issue. Could the lake be stocked with the law suit involved? Also, wont the fish stocked in the lake just move up into the creek...not that this is necessarily a bad thing. 
Great post, thanks!
Robert


-- Edited by hobbs on Sunday 9th of January 2011 10:21:02 PM

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mx19


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moved to rants and raves


-- Edited by mx19 on Monday 10th of January 2011 12:32:15 AM

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mx19
SK60


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Lake Solano is becoming a marsh-take a look at google earth. The lake is filling in rapidly due to erosion from (mostly) Pleasants Creek, which enters midlake. SCWA has considered two options: dredge it (>$3 million) or let it fill in with a channel down the center for water to reach the diversion dam and canal (IMO, probable course of action). Its not going to be planted with hatchery trout or any non-native species like bass. If you want to understand why planting isn't coming back, read up on DFG/FGC policies on anadromous waters, especially those relating to threatened salmon runs. Look up the lawsuit that started this no plant reality.

To steal from Al Gore, there are a number of painful inconvenient truths littering the state's  fishery landscapes. If changing things back to suit your view of the world is important to you, then you better get active, educate yourself and join the fight for your cause. In this political and social environment complaint without action gets you nowhere.  

-- Edited by SK60 on Monday 10th of January 2011 11:01:36 AM

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