Emergency Veterinary Care: The best emergency veterinary care is Chester Veterinary Clinic located on Main Street next to the Beacon gas station in Chester. Call Dr. Roberta at 530-258-4242 a one stop shop that is properly equipped to handle anything from major emergencies (including fish hook removal) to basic care including in house blood testing for proper diagnosis for more serious problems. We highly recommend that if you bring your pets up here with you, keep this number handy. We can personally guarantee that your pets will be treated as though they were your kids!

Currently awaiting USFS response in regards to air quality permits for sewer pond enlargement and replacement of old liners. WAIT AND SEE HOW THE STATE RESPONDED THIS FRIDAY EVENING!!!

Localnews1.net. Click page 1 in the upper left sidebar, then click state and local news briefs. Northern California’s only all on-line newspaper!

Everything you never knew or often wondered about Eagle Lake is contained in this report. So far, Eagle Lake Fishing Information is the only place where this “PUBLIC INFORMATION” is available. However, many users at the same time can generally be the problem if you can’t load it, so please try again. I do suggest downloading the file to your computer. PINE CREEK ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT Including All of the Eagle Lake Basin

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1) legal fishing time is “one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset”. Sunrise and sunset times are posted above.
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.
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) NO DERBIES OR FISHING TOURNAMENTS ARE ALLOWED TO BE HELD ON EAGLE LAKE. IF YOU HAVE RECENTLY SIGNED UP FOR A FISHING DERBY, YOU MAY WANT TO SEE ABOUT GETTING YOUR BUY IN BACK.

CDFG WARDENS ASKED ME TO REMIND FOLKS IN SPALDING THAT FEEDING THE DEER IS ILLEGAL AND WARDENS ARE NOW PATROLLING THE AREA FOR VIOLATORS.

Spalding Marina: The first ramp as you come into the Spalding Marina is fine for launching at this time. The shoal straight out registered 2.2 feet deep (those not making the adjustment on their depth finders are reading 1.5 ft). Big outboards: trim it up, you too I/O units. Water pump impellers don’t care for the gritty silt kicked up by prop wash and dragging keels. Head straight out on dead center with the center buoy. If you get off one side or the other you will be in the mud. Regardless, folks are managing!

Eagle Lake Marina: Getting very tough for some but still manageable for boats that don’t need a real deep launch and those keeping their lower units up. Several boulders are scattered about as you go out or come in or go out. As a precaution I would keep my out-drive up while leaving the dock and be ready to pole out if necessary. Problems are happening already for larger deeper drafting boats!!! I spoke with John at the Marina on 9-8-08 and they have no plans (at this time) of closing the launch ramp.

Stones Landing: Tough for larger boats. Getting in the water isn’t too bad however the shallow shoal leading out to the lake requires trimming up motors and turning them off (on large deep drafting boats). Large boats may have to push or paddle out a little way before dropping their motors...but folks are managing.

Campgrounds: Christie Campground is closed up. Merrill to close November 1st. Eagle Campground will remain open (as snow and cold temperatures permit) until the end of the fishing season. Eagle Camp will not have running water or flush toilets available however the USFS does supply out-houses for those who brave to camp. This season there will be a meager fee to cover the porta-potty rentals of $5 per night which is reasonable.

North Basin: 57 to 58 F by my depth finder, early and late morning/afternoon temps respectively
Middle Basin: 57 to 58 F (had 53.7 this morning at the docks in Spalding)
South Basin: 58 to 59 F (hit 60 Wednesday afternoon)

The lake is in pretty good shape. However, this is the time of year when we start seeing more surface weeds in some areas. There were a few places between Wildcat Point and Shrimp Island that were pretty weedy....trollers check your lines periodically even if you don’t troll through it, some are well below the surface. We had quite a few weeds from the Youth Camp and north but the south side of Pelican Pt and south towards Miners was pretty clean today. Larger patches are floating around in the middle and north basins. Prop driven boats often just chew them up and spit them out however, jet pump driven boats often suck in the floats of moss. Keep a tool on hand to clear your pumps, O-dark-thirty isn’t the best time to find out the hard way!

PROJECT EAGLE LAKE TROUT STROBE LIGHT BUOYS ARE NOW OUT ON THE WATER.

Tuesday and Wednesday were the nicest days we had all week. The wind came up late in the afternoon on Tuesday which allowed the late risers plenty of time to catch their limits. Wednesday was almost too calm but the fish were active for us most all morning.

We are starting to see the barometer drop and it is dropping fairly fast. The sky was pretty clear this morning but by 10 AM we started seeing a few bands of clouds moving through. The north wind blew through the night and left a pretty good chop on the pond this morning and are expected to continue throughout the passing of the northern storm. We are expecting more clouds to move in by late this afternoon and at this time have a 20% chance of scattered snow showers this evening.

FRIDAY. Cloudy skies, north wind at 15 mph with gusts to 25, 30% chance of scattered SNOW showers that are expected to blanket the mountains and some valley floors by Saturday morning. High temp of 43 and a low of 24. (numbers keep going down!).

SATURDAY. Storm expected to clear out Friday evening and early Sat AM but it will depend on Mother Nature whether it clears out overnight or late Saturday AM. Mostly sunny skies are forecast but the high temperature is still at 48 and a low of 22 (expect teens...remember the 4 degree rule up here on forecast and lake level temps).

SUNDAY and MONDAY are expected to be mostly sunny highs in the 50’s and 60’s respectively and lows in the low 20’s (we could see high teens with the minus 4 degree factor) EXPECT A GOOD CHANCE OF SEEING FROZEN FOG ON THE POND!

Gloves and ear protection in open boats is recommended for that 25 mph chill! PACK YOUR RAIN GEAR AND KEEP IT WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES NOW. BE PREPARED FOR COLDER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES. THOSE WITH TRAVEL TRAILERS DRAIN YOUR PIPES TO KEEP THEM FROM FREEZING OR LEAVE YOUR HEATER ON! TRAVEL TRAILERS AND SUCH FREEZE UP QUICKLY WHEN TEMPS ARE IN THE TEENS AND 20’s.

Expect the dropping barometer to slow down the fishing a bit Thursday and Friday. Wind will also keep some folks off the water Friday. Shore fishing will be a good option but consider the best location where the wind is not pushing big waves right in to shore. Saturday might be a day of change but Sunday and Monday look pretty good so far. Expect the lake to be stirred up but the fishing should be good once the storm passes. It was after last weeks storm so I expect the same.

Fish have been moving around the last couple of days. But we have had a pretty steady bite for most of the morning. More and more folks are limiting out at the Youth Camp/Biology Station and between Pelican Pt and the Youth Camp but a ton of recently planted fish have moved in to the north. The fish were a lot more scattered today there but we found several pods on the south side of Pelican PT. More larger fish are being found along the east side of Rocky Point and west side of Buck Point but weeds are killer for trollers but bait/flies are catching some nice fish despite often putting in a little extra time here and there. The trout are not on a regular schedule in the tules along the airstrip in Spalding (hit and miss) and more smaller fish will make it there this week. The fish and birds are moving the minnows around, pushing them out and down and in and up (if that makes much sense) and trollers actively following these patterns are catching a lot of trout. Anchored bait fishermen often just have to wait for the minnows to come to them, and that will happen so just hang in there if that is your preferred method of fishing. TIP FOR BAIT FISHERMAN ANCHORING IN SCHOOLS OF MINNOWS: The tui chub are very sensitive to noise and vibrations and the last thing you want to do is blow them out upon arrival and have to wait for them to come back before you start catching fish. Avoid making a lot of noise especially in aluminum boats and avoid giving the anchor a mighty heave ... ease it into the water.

Many fish are still busting the minnows in the south basin which continues to move the minnows and the fish around. The west side of the south basin from Wildcat Pt to Pelican Pt has had intermittent areas of weeds but folks are finding limits trolling over the shallow ledges and rock piles and moving out to 20 plus feet of water (locate the balls of minnows) by mid morning. We have found larger fish in shallower water along the west side, smaller ones out in deeper water. There are larger fish just out from the jetty but finding them can take a little while now that a bunch of planters were just dropped in, but try trolling towards Wildcat Pt from the Jetty, you will find them eventually. Just find the moving minnows and move with them...just like the fish do. With a large influx of planters this week, stick to areas less inundated like shallow rock piles and ledges away from the launch ramps. Most minnow imitations or lures with white/silver patterns have been working pretty well.

The fish we are fishing for have been holding tight to the shallow rock piles early in the morning but the mid to late morning bite has been on rocky ledges that drop from 10 to 24 feet deep. I don’t recommend novices to attempt trolling the shallow rock piles when it is nearly dark, especially if you don’t know them like the back of your hand.

Eagles Nest, the Snag (north of E.N.) and the Springs on the east side had quite a few little shakers move in while quite a few of the larger fish moved out but these areas generally hold resident trout that simply cruise back and forth between the Springs and Eagles Nest. There were a few trout off Blacks Mountain today they were very scattered. But just because some fish are on the move from their normal summer haunts, they don’t all leave and head north. The south basin always retains fish, they simply get a little scattered and rather than moving north as water temperatures cool down, they simply move up in the water column, closer to shore and on top of the rock piles. However, any trout that does move north has to go over Miners Point ledges and Frank Morgan Summit or they have to go around it near Slough Point.

The bite started early for us yesterday and was pretty steady most of the morning. We are seeing a little more brackish color to the water and expect the heavy winds to really stir up the lake. We will see a big drop in water temperatures along with this northern system that is on it’s way. Then, be prepared. The fish will have to smell your lure, fly and bait, as they won’t be able to see 4 to 6 feet away from where they are. When that happens, it’s “in your face fishing” in other words you basically have to bounce your bait right off their noses....or better yet, use an attractant.

The bait bite has been up and down but as long as you follow the minnows...or get in their general location and toss that freeline in!! It is going to be pretty tough holding anchor unless you are blocked by points and rock piles to break the pounding waves. You will have a safer and better chance of catching fish from the shore. Consider the direction of the wind or you won’t be able to cast your bobber 10 ft. Generally the fish will forage the shoreline and rock piles where the waves are stirring up food. They then “cruise the boulavard” and sometimes you just have to move with them. Baby nightcrawlers get more attention from the opportunist trout between feeding frenzies chasing the tui chub minnows.

Use of attractants is often a good choice. These fish have been particular to garlic gravy and krill flavors in the past, but don’t use it on all your bait in the water. One day it’s an attractant and the next it can be a repellent.

There have been quite a few weeds north of Pelican Pt and the Youth Camp as well as into Bucks Bay. The north basin as some clear areas but if I were to head 5 to 6 miles from Spalding, I would head south this season. Just keep your lines clean right now...check them often whether you see weeds on the surface or not. Trollers have had some seriously good days of fishing this last week and easily releasing quite a few numbers of trout and picking their limits! (Despite CDFG Recommendation) It is going to be tough fishing Friday and possibly even Saturday early morning. It will depend on the time the storm actually blows out.

Trolling nightcrawlers continues to be effective (no flashers) in most all areas around the lake... Nightcrawlers generally out fish many other terminal baits when the lake gets her color going. Nightcrawlers should be trolled no faster than 1 to 1.2 mph where flies and lures such as needlefish or rapala’s require speeds between 1.2 and 1.8 mph plus. “Uncle Larry’s lures” in Perch, fire and Tiger colors in front of grubs or nightcrawlers has been working great for trollers. Nightcrawlers behind wedding-rings have also produced nice limits for trollers but one day it’s on and the next day its off. Generally just a plain crawler works just fine. But we are seeing more color in the water and it will get worse before it gets better...and using lightweight small flashers will have their days. For those of you who prefer running lightweight flashers, shorten up your leaders to the bait to no longer than 14 inches....these trout often come up from behind so fast that they miss your bait and strike at the flasher....making you wonder why you can’t hook one.

Hottest lures: NOTE: WHITE, PEARL, YELLOW, CHARTREUSE, GLOW-ORANGE, DARK BROWN AND BLACK WILL BE THE COLORS STANDING OUT FROM THE REST AS MORE COLOR IN THE WATER SHOWS UP! LEAVING A SCENT TRAIL WILL BE A GOOD IDEA! Needlefish in “perch”, orange, (pearl, brass and nickel back), fire tiger, red dot frog and the small black and white have all bought strikes this week! The Perch Needlefish has been a good producer this season. Nickel bikini (small size now, larger in fall) has been a “standard” Eagle Lake lure for decades and can generally get bit when all else fails). Sure-Catch lures large “Red Dog” is getting quite a bit of attention and the “gator” which is similar to a red dot frog needlefish in color was the one getting the most attention. Rainbow runners in orange and pearl also produced fish this week. Depending on where you are fishing, minnow imitations (Rapala’s) are getting quite a bit of attention all day long.

Often small silver lures (IE small needlefish, rainbow runner size) with a little silver or red reflective tape will start working well when trolled through the bait balls. Trout can not resist a little red or watermelon color when balling up the minnows. They see it as “blood” and will pick it out over any other minnow in the school. Did that many times the last few weeks and my new ghost minnow imitation has that hue when wet.

Trolling Flies: The best for us is still brown or amber and orange leech patterns in the deep water. Tui chub imitation is working all day long now. I have not caught a lot of trout on orange this season however, many other people have. The most deadly fly for me has been brown (which resembles a natural (leech) food in the lake and generally gets attention when the bite goes off for every other color or imitation. Arctic Fox trolling flies are also holding their own very well right now.

Grubs: Brown, orange (small size), amber, olive (red flecks) watermelon. Black is also a good color to have in your tackle box and has been known to be something that works when the bite goes off. White can be deadly when working the bait balls and when the water gets a lot of color in it. Some folks use wiggle or action discs anywhere from 2 to 18 inches ahead of the grub for more action in the water. But, I have found that sometimes too much movement, especially on flat water, is just that. It’s not as easy fooling a trout in clear, calm, flat water as it is when there is a ripple or wave action. The grub has a beautiful movement without the action disc but watch your speedometer for the laziest action on flat water. When trolling in shallow water, don’t think the trout are not watching your every move before you know they are there...hence the 100+ ft behind the boat rule for trollers in shallow water. My top lines are at 125 ft.

Fish are on the shallow rock piles and depending on whether or not boats blow them off, I am finding them there later in the AM too. Be sure to have your float tube to access slightly deeper water later in the day. Don’t be afraid to pick my brain thru email. I can and always do help out anyone despite being a licensed fishing guide with over 45 years experience on Eagle Lake and generally can repair fly lines, replace or repair loops & splices and often have a few tippets and extra strike indicators on hand however, I am not in the retail business, just a person to contact if you get in a jam and if you damage a line, need a tippet or forgot your indicators ... which can save you gas to Susanville in a pinch when all the stores are closed at the lake. It’s up to you if you want a bait fisherman or a downrigger guide take you fly-fishing (either can generally take you to some fish, but the best fly to use in that area and the approach to the “hole” with the boat might be a critical decision). It could make the difference between a zero to two fish day and a 10 plus fish day this fall.

It is important (on these trout) to keep a lower profile even out on a boat. These trout can be very “line shy” so a bad cast often spooks them. As long as the trout can see you, they know exactly what you are doing and generally leave the area or move just out of reach for wading. Never underestimate these trout...they are predictably unpredictable. We prefer 10 ft (13’ is good too if you can find them) long tippets, 4 to 5 pound small diameter 4x and 5x. Slow short strips (3 to 4 inches) will always catch more fish on this lake than fast long strips. Brown, black and olive wooly buggers in size 10 to 12 are pretty steady fish catching colors on this lake but other small nymphs and scuds have also been known to work well. As a starter tip, we prefer to use brown while fishing the rocky ledges and olive variations of woolly buggers in the moss beds and tules (damsels). We also use variations of “gold” woolly buggers as well as black (with peacock body) that come in handy when skies are overcast or water is cloudy.

Shore fishing at the Youth Camp and Biology Station has picked up. Rocky Point has given up some thugs as well. The lake is going to be rough Friday so plan on fishing from shore if you are here. The jetty has picked up but one day is better than the next and Friday the waves will be pounding straight in, this weekend should be very good as the water temperatures should drop to 55 in the south basin by Saturday. It depends on where the minnows are at any given time. . It is just a matter of timing and well worth the effort. Many fish over four pounds were caught this week and several pair of shore fishermen were close to double digit numbers between them by 11 AM.

ACCESSES: The “jetty” at the Eagle Lake Marina. Rocky Point Campground via Bucks Bay. The Circus Grounds (parking on Eagle Lake Road at the big turn out or in the parking lot of Christie Day Use Area). Wildcat Pt has a road but is walking access only from the blocked road. The Osprey Management Area is open for walking but no vehicles are allowed to drive down to the lake or lake shore. This area is patrolled and the fine was $150 several years ago and has probably increased since I met the last person cited. CDFG as well as USFS keep a pretty good watch on that area. The Youth Camp is accessed by dirt roads either from Merrillville Road in Willow Creek Valley from highway 139 or via Eagles Nest (passing the entrance road and head north). Eagles Nest area and shoreline is accessible from Eagle’s Nest. Highway 139 borders 5 miles of shoreline. Generally this area fishes better when the pH is lower and the water is higher. Fish move in one day and move out the next. Unpredictable area to go if you only have one day to fish. 7 to 8 feet deep in the middle of the north basin.

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