I would like to see a small limited restocking schedule of Lake Solano with Bass, Blue Gill, and Trout and a zero take / CnR restiction on Lake Solano.  IMO that would best benefit the local economy and revitalize LS which has become an absolute fishing wasteland.

Just don't overuse it , Ed. I'm saving it for next years discordant discourses on...fishing the redds.

Regarding LS plantings. The 3 species mentioned are non-native, including hatchery trout, so its unlikely to occur. Here's the DFG statement on planting:

"DFG recently responded to a legal action challenging its hatchery and stocking operations, and completed an Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) that considers species and habitats affected by hatchery-raised rainbow trout. One of the conditions of the EIR/EIS is that each water planted throughout California must go through a Pre-Stocking Evaluation Protocol. This evaluation requires DFG to consider each sensitive or listed species in each water relative to the stocking of trout. DFG fisheries staff have made the evaluations a top priority, but until the review is completed and approved by our administration, rainbow trout or channel catfish cannot be stocked."

Note: sensitive and listed species are also known as "Decision Species".

There is an actual protocol that DFG follows in evaluating any body of water for stocking. There are three primary criteria for a "no stock" decision. The first is whether or not the proposed stocking location falls within the historic range or federally designated critical habitat of Decision Species. The second is whether the habitat at the location is suitable habitat for any Decision Species. The third is whether or not Decision Species are present and whether or not stocking would have a substantial effect on the species. If the answer to any or all of these conditions is yes, then stocking is not allowed. Decision Species include trout and salmon, which are present in the Creek. The Chinook salmon is definitely a Decision Species. When DS are present, the final step in the process is:

"Develop Aquatic Biodiversity Management Plan"

Promoting biologic diversity (biodiversity) is an international initiative designed to protect native species wherever they occur and are under threat, mostly from humans and their activities. And I would think that the Wild Trout Designation program falls under aquatic biodiversity.

I can't find information on whether or not PC has been evaluated, but you can pretty much guess the outcome of that eventual evaluation, i.e., no planting in the Creek or the lake for now.

-- Edited by SK60 on Tuesday 25th of January 2011 09:46:19 AM

-- Edited by SK60 on Tuesday 25th of January 2011 09:48:44 AM

-- Edited by SK60 on Tuesday 25th of January 2011 09:55:03 AM

SK60 wrote:

---

Regarding LS plantings. The 3 species mentioned are non-native, including hatchery trout, so its unlikely to occur. Here's the DFG statement on planting:

Don't get me wrong, I understand exactly what you are saying, it's just that you're wrong.  Before Berryessa, before Lake Solano, Putah Creek was one of the best WARM WATER fisheries in that state that included large mouth bass, small mouth bass, and blue gill.  Above Berryessa on Putah Creek around Middleton down to Butt's canyon is basically a small mouth mega fishery.  Why is that Lower Putah is full of Warm Water species?  Same reason, the warm water species are the NATIVE species.

The DFG created the trout fishery between LS and Monticello Dam.  So please don't state that LMB, SMB, and blue gill are non-ntaive.  You couldn't be farther from the truth.  A true return to the native fishery would mean that Bass and Blue Gill would be the primary concern of managing of the fishery.

-- Edited by Bonk on Saturday 29th of January 2011 11:28:56 AM

Bonk-I appreciate both your concern for having a more diverse and family friendly fishery in LS and its current poor condition. And my intent is not to provoke another controversy on this board-I'm providing information that attempts to get away from hearsay, like the red legged frog in PC preventing planting.

In this case, its a matter of the DFG's definition of native fish vs. non-native fish. Native fish have been present in California since prehistoric times. Non-native fish are descended from species that were brought to California by humans and have since developed self-sustaining populations. This includes some populations of rainbow trout- hatchery strains are defined as non-native because they are "artificially" raised. Bass, bluegill, catfish and many others have been introduced since the 1800's-by definition you could call them wild fish, if they were naturally"spawned and raised in an aquatic ecosystem" and not in a hatchery, but they are not native. Right now PC's trout are "wild"; they may turn out to be "native" if we can get the genetic analysis done.

Part of current FGC policy is to bring historic native populations of salmonids back to a healthy status whenever possible. There is a small population of chinook salmon that spawns below the diversion dam. Protecting this native fish below the dam is a major reason that planting is not occuring above the dam.

Heres a thought: if the wild fish in the creek continue to grow in numbers, you can expect them to repopulate the Lake. May take a while, but thats one of natures laws: occupy every piece of available habitat.

Although I'm a huge bass fisherman. Planting bass in a place where you're trying to sustain a wild trout fishery is a bad idea. Bass are on top of the food chain and trout are like candy to them.

Chime in Hobbs. No more attacking here. We're keeping it friendly and informal.

No need to feel attacked. No one is attacking. Hopefully you chime in, cuz I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Like I said... It's gonna be friendly and informal from now on... For me anyway.


-- Edited by LilWhippersnapper on Monday 31st of January 2011 01:56:16 AM

 the stretch of putah creek we fish is unnatural, has been since they put in the dams (monticello and lake solano) ! It has a relatively low temp year round due to the depth of the pump inlets in berryessa. Thats the only reason we have a year round trout fishery. That and the stocking program that is responsible for the trout that now spawn in putah creek, many of which were born in a hatchery. The removal of the stocking program that fed the otter and the huge bass that are in putah creek are gone and they will cut the wild trout population to shreds in 10-20 years if stocking does't re-occur. there was a population of fish that could support the numbers of otter, osprey and big bass in putah creek. The osprey can fly to other places but the bass are trapped and the otter will take a few generations to stop producing babies in the numbers they did before. Putah creek is irrigation water. no significant amounts flow anywhere but to fields. Stock it with triploids, stock it with napa river steekhead, stock it with eagle lake trout, but stock it! Put a slot limit on wild trout and make wading illegal during spawn.

-- Edited by gudawg on Thursday 17th of March 2011 12:00:32 PM

Putah Creek is very strange situation. Lake Berryessa and Upper Putah Creek and Pope creek were steelhead spawning areas before the Dam was built. Before the dam was built I fished some of the streams which now drain into Berryessa and they had native trout, they were small 6 - 12 inches.

I have also fished these creeks after the dam was built and they still contain trout (1970). I remember one pool contain some very large trout and the pool can still be seen from Hi 128 but there are houses in the area now.

I mentioned in another link that the many of the original trout in Berryessa were capture steelhead from when the dam was built (I am old enough to remember seeing the dam being built).

Also, the ecology of the especially between below Lake Berryessa and Lake Solano. This section will never return to the way the creek was before the dam was built.

The main concern for stocking this section is escapement of rainbow trout into lower Putah Creek and the Sacramento River drainage. The rules would be that any plant would have to be from rainbow strains that would not alter the genetics of the fish that use the section below Lake Solano for spawning. Presently there is no egg taking from these fish in this section.

I know samples from these fish could be taken and sent to UC Davis (may be done already as part of Grad student study) for genetic mapping.

DFG does not have the budget to solve all the small stream stocking problems.

That's an easy question to answer. It's because there's trout in putah and fisherman will put up with almost any hardship to catch trout. I've been there four times and so far I've never caught anything, but I know there are trout in it so I'm going to keep trying. By the way, i'm still pretty new to this forum so I don't know all the slang yet, what does "IDR" stand for?

response to a letter I wrote to DFG

The Inner Gorge Reach of Putah Creek is currently being considered as a designated Wild trout water. And yes we have discontinued planting this reach of Putah Creek as well as Lake Solano. I am sure you are correct that the Department's planting of Putah Creek has helped to sustain a trout fishery in this reach of Putah Creek. However, to say that it is the only reason is most likely not correct. Historically before the building of dams on Putah Creek this stream supported runs of steelhead and chinook salmon. So some of the remnant landlocked rainbow/steelhead may have also helped support this fishery. The Wild trout evaluation has already determined that there is quite a self-sustaining population of rainbow trout by counting the number of redds produced each winter in this reach of Putah Creek. They have also noticed quite a change in the age class structure of rainbow trout since the Department's planting was discontinued. This evaluation is on-going currently and I do not know what the final outcome will be till the Department's Wild Trout program completes its evaluation and makes its recommendation to the Fish and Game Commission. At that time you will also as well as other concerned anglers be able to voice your concerns about this potential designation.

The Department discontinued planting this reach of Putah Creek partly because of this evaluation and also because we were sued by the Center for Biological Diversity for not properly conducting Environmental Reports on the effects of our planting on many ESA (Endangered Species) listed species throughout the state. AS a result, we are now required to conduct surveys for many ESA listed species to ensure that we are not causing further stress to these species. Currently we have not done this for Putah Creek and Lake Solano because of limited staff and funding. In addition, we would have to make sure that Lake Solano does not spill fertile rainbow trout into the lower reach of Putah Creek which still supports a very stressed population of steelhead trout.

We are very aware of the loss of fishing opportunity to anglers in this area and the financial stress it has put on the local park and businesses in the immediate area. It was never the intention of the local fly fishing group to have us discontinue planting in Lake Solano. However, this lake is directly connected to this reach of Putah Creek so we had to discontinue planting Lake Solano as well.

We are currently exploring several ways that we might be able to stock limited numbers of sterile trout into Lake Solano without affecting the Wild Trout evaluation. Though none of these ideas have been approved by management as of yet. So stocking of Putah Creek will have to wait until the Wild Trout evaluation is at least completed. Lake Solano we are still not sure but have hope in the near future we could do some small plants.

Trout stocking of Lake Hennessey was also discontinued because of the lawsuit to the Department because it spills frequently in winter into Conn Creek which supports a very stressed population of ESA listed steelhead. The Department began to start developing sterile trout in 2010 for planting into lakes such as Hennessey which spill into anadromous steelhead waters. These fish are just now becoming available to the Department to be out-planted. However, Hennessey as I stated spills quite frequently and so the concern now is competition between sterile trout and native steelhead in Conn Creek. So our strategy is to plant small numbers of sterile trout this spring and have these plants coincide with Trout tournaments to make sure there is sufficient fishing pressure to reduce there numbers and to not plant trout in late fall before it potentially spills again next winter to reduce the likelihood of sterile trout spilling into Conn Creek.

I am sorry this has resulted in lost fishing opportunities to the public, but we are working hard within our limited means to try and recover some of these lost fishing opportunities for the public as a result of the legal challenges.

If you have more concerns or questions please fell free to call me anytime at the number below.

George Neillands
Senior Fisheries Biologist
Bay-Delta Region
P. O. Box 47
Yountville, CA 94599
7329 Silverado Trail
Office: (707) 944-5525
Fax: (707) 944-5563
cell: (707) 307-3794
gneillands@dfg.ca.gov