Overview:
It's only February, but Santa Barbara County officials say Lake Cachuma is full from winter rains and the weather has been warm and inviting.
Summer is still far off, but the trout are biting at Lake Cachuma, officials say.
For those who love to fish, Santa Barbara County says the lake doesn’t get much better than it is now.
The lake is at full capacity after the season’s heavy rains. The streak of warm, dry weather has made for ideal temperatures at the lake’s campgrounds. Hillsides are green with spring-like splendor. And the lake was just stocked with 5,000 pounds of trout — from half-pounders all the way up to eight-pound “trophies,” according to the county.
The fish were raised at the Mt. Lassen Trout Farms in Paynes Creek, about 25 miles northeast of Redding, in Tehama County, in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The fish farm says on its website that it’s been in business since 1949.
Fishing is allowed from the shore of Lake Cachuma or from boats, which are available for rent, the county said. Those who want to bring their own boats need to have their boats inspected 30 days in advance to make sure they aren’t infested with invasive Quagga mussels. Boats are given tags after they are inspected to make it clear that they passed.
Kayaks, canoes and small, single-wall boats lacking compartments and powered by a single outboard engine can be inspected and launched the same day as they arrive.
The lake’s access hours are 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. during February, says the county’s Parks Division, which operates the campgrounds and lake.
