John Spencer: Local lakes contain fish with lots of bite

Redding Record Searchlight

July 3, 2010

On Father’s Day my two sons and I went up on Iron Gate Lake perch fishing. We had a great day reeling in fish every two or three minutes. Later, we had the reward of eating these luscious fish.

This has sort of become a tradition with many anglers, because there is an unlimited supply of fish and they bite your bait or presentation with regularity.

Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) are closely related to walleyed-pike and are shaped similar to smallmouth bass except they are more colorful, having a yellowish-gold body with dark brown vertical bars.

Smelly old perch anglers usually call yellow perch “Oakie Crab meat” because they are cheap to catch and they are as good as or perhaps better than crabmeat. They are not native to California. They eventually arrived here via the Klamath Lake and river system.

They do not seem to survive or range in the Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam. They are usually small, averaging 6 to 10 inches long. Twelve-inch fish and up are rare.

However, their fat fillets and wonderful flavor make up for the small size, believe me. Even though they can get much larger up to 2 pounds — the lake is so populated with the species that larger fish are rare.

There is another lake above Iron Gate called Copco Lake. It is named after the old California-Oregon Power Co. Separating the two is a powerhouse and dam. Several year-round creeks flow into Iron Gate while the upper Klamath River feeds into Copco Lake.

This lake also has excellent perch fishing. There are several free camping areas around Iron Gate Lake plus four boat launching locations provide and maintained by Pacific Power Co.

In past years, there was no limit for yellow perch as they were so prolific in both lakes. This year they included perch in the sunfish and crappie limits, which were reduced to 25 of each species or in combination. (See section 5.82, p. 23 of sport fishing regulations.)

Many anglers I talked to were not happy with this regulation as it is felt that yellow perch are not sunfish but rather members of the walleyed-pike family. Some anglers thought the regulation was made in error.

Well, so much for that. The limit is now 25, really enough for a meal for two by candlelight and a good bottle of Chardonnay or Riesling.

Besides the perch, there is a variety of other fish in these lakes, which could include rainbow trout, green sunfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, black crappie, largemouth bass, channel catfish and brown bullhead (catfish).

Some very large catfish have been caught where the river runs into Copco Lake. There does not seem to be a healthy population of bass in the lake. The consensus of anglers is that there are so many yellow perch and other species that prey on the bass spawning beds, that reproduction is difficult for the bass. If one could imagine a bass trying to fight off hundreds of perch after their eggs and fry, then it is understandable why there is not an abundant population of bass in either of the lakes.

But there are plenty of other fish.

Light rods are the ticket if you fish from a boat. If you fish from the shore, a longer rod with light action is recommended so you can cast a line out beyond the weed beds if necessary where the larger fish dwell.

Presentations of choice among the experts are small worms, pieces of night crawler, fish flesh, small wet flies, small rubber jigs in yellow, green or red and white.

As of this writing, the surface temperatures are around 67 degrees and the fish are down about 8 to 10 feet.

In this warm weather, it is recommended that anglers carry an ice chest to keep their catch iced down. After fishing, cover them with a full bag of ice and wait several hours or overnight. This will make filleting the fish easier as the ice makes the fish firmer. An electric fillet knife or a good quality fillet knife such as the Rapa are good choices.

Keep the knives sharp for better fillets and fewer cut fingers. Just one more thing and I will shut up. If you have some kids who like to fish or you would like them to experience the thrill of catching some fish in a reasonably safe and productive place, try these lakes sometime.

Update on trout fishing around the West

As the summer creeps up on us, so does the good trout fishing. If you are planning to travel around or on a vacation this summer around the West, I would like to suggest a few good trout waters where you might like to try your skill. Most of these rivers or streams are well managed and produce quality trout fishing. Here are a few of my suggestions:

Williamson River at Chiloquin, Ore.

Lower Truckee River.

Provo River, Utah

Big Hole River, Montana

Blacksmith Fork, Logan, Utah

Henry’s Fork, Last Chance, Idaho

Lower Deschutes River, Oregon

South Fork of the Snake River, Idaho

Lower Hat Creek

Madison River, Ennis, Montana

Firehole River, Yellowstone, Wyoming

Gallatin River, Montana

Beaverhead River, Dillon, Montana

Fremong River, Utah

Silver Creek, Idaho

Big Horn River, Montana .

If you can afford the gas and have the time, there are plenty of rivers to explore and enjoy. Wade carefully, and release the fish with care.

Tight lines.

John Spencer is a longtime north state resident and fisherman.