The week before Christmas, the East Bay Regional Park District will be planting an additional 4,000 pounds of extra large rainbow trout at Lake Del Valle in Livermore, Quarry Lakes in Fremont, Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton, Contra Loma in Antioch and Lake Temescal in Oakland. According to the Park District Fisheries Program Manager, Pete Alexander, this plant from the Desert Springs Trout Farm in Oregon contains a wonderful strain of rainbow trout with bright colors, pink meat and great fighting ability. The trout will range from 1.5 to 4.5 pounds each.  In addition to these trout, Shadow Cliffs, Quarry Lakes and Temescal will be receiving rainbow trout from the California Dept. of Fish & Game Urban Fishing Program.

Fish planting is nothing new to the East Bay Regional Park District, which regularly stocks its fishing lakes and ponds with trout and catfish. The lakes are very popular with local anglers who enjoy fishing from boats, docks and shorelines. The district funds its fish plants through a daily fishing access permit, (required for all anglers 16 and over), which will increase from $4 to $5 beginning January 1, 2010.  The last time fishing access fees increased by $1 was in 2002.  Fishing access fees have generally kept pace with the cost of sportfish since the year 2000.

“One hundred percent of the fishing access fee revenue goes toward buying 1-6+ pound rainbow trout and channel catfish that are planted year round in District lakes,” state Alexander. “Unfortunately there has been a dramatic increase in the cost of the rainbow trout that we purchase for planting in our lakes. This fee increase is necessary to keep pace with the cost of fish and to provide weekly plants that our sport fishing patrons expect and enjoy.”

Prior to raising fees, the District surveyed local anglers. Over 85% agreed to a fee increase in order to keep fish plants at their present level.

The District also offers annual fishing permits, including one for seniors, which can be a cost saving for regular anglers, those that generally fish at least once a week. Those fees too will increase by approximately 25% in 2010 to account for the increase in fish plant costs.

For more information about the District’s fishery program, contact Pete Alexander at 510-544-2342.

###