Did DFG Replant a Baitfish?

December 24, 2008

Question:When the Lake Davis poisoning project was completed, did DFG replant a baitfish population as well as restocking the trout? If so, what baitfish were replanted? Thanks. (Dale S.)

Answer: No, a baitfish population was not put into Lake Davis after the chemical treatment to eradicate northern pike. According to Lake Davis Project Manager Randy Kelly, Lake Davis has very good populations of insects, crayfish and other invertebrates that have supported excellent trout fishing in the past and should continue to do so into the future. Baitfish were not native in that drainage and bullhead, bass and pumpkinseed are still in the reservoir. The chemical treatment was done at a concentration that was adequate to eliminate all the pike and trout, which are more sensitive than the above warm water species, but was not at a high enough concentration to kill all the above mentioned fish that survived in the lake.

Use of live or dead baitfish is generally prohibited in the Sierra District, which includes Lake Davis, except as provided in Section 4.30 of the Fish and Game Regulations. Lake Davis should provide excellent trout fishing after ice out (when the surface covering of ice on the lake thaws) in the late winter or early spring of 2009. About one million trout ranging from fingerling size (three to five inches) up to 18 pounds were restocked in the reservoir and surrounding tributary streams after the treatment to eliminate pike. Fishing was very good in 2008 and should be excellent in 2009.