After more than week of closure due to the Santiago and Silverado fires, anglers returned to Irvine Lake on Tuesday to find phenomenally good fishing. "It was absolutely wide open today" remarked Daniela Gavaldon at the Pro Shop. "The fish were pretty much biting on everything, Power Bait, Power Worms, Gulp!, nightcrawlers, with or without garlic spray."
Gavaldon added, "The weather conditions were absolutely perfect. You couldn't smell smoke at all, but you could still see the last bit of fire burning on the distant hillsides. We will be open regular hours for the rest of the week and the weekend."
Caution is still advised due to heavy equipment, fire investigation and other official activity on Santiago Canyon Road, and some phone service interruptions may still be experienced in the area.
Outstanding catches at Irvine Lake on Tuesday included:
Romeo Benjamin of Glendale, 4-pound brook trout on Gulp! Eggs at the west shore
Raymin Heshmati of Laguna Niguel, 4-pound rainbow trout on nightcrawlers at the west shore
Dan Freeman of La Puente, 4-pound rainbow trout on nightcrawlers at the west shore
David Marquez of Riverside, 4-pound rainbow trout on nightcrawlers at the west shore
Tim Morlan of Orange, 5-trout limit totaling 15 pounds topped by a 5-pounder on Power Worm/Gulp! Eggs at the west shore
Floyd Crowell of West Covina, 5-trout limit totaling 20 pounds topped by a 4.5 pounder on Gulp! Trout Dough at the west shore
Mick Morlan of Orange, 5-trout limit totaling 12 pounds topped by a 4-pounder on Power Wrom/Gulp! Eggs at the west shore
Ed Vigil of La Puente, 5-trout limit totaling 18 pounds on Gulp! Trout Dough at the west shore
Quang Ngo and Thui Chagdy of San Bernardino, 10-trout limit totaling 24 pounds on Power Bait at the west shore
Report Date:
Orange County Fire authorities have given the go-ahead for Irvine Lake to re-open for fishing during regular hours [6:00 AM to 4:00 PM] on Tuesday October 30. Fire suppression, cleanup and investigation will continue in the area for the Santiago and Silverado fires. Caution is advised for heavy equipment and other official activity on Santiago Canyon Road. ......
Report Date:
Southern California's dramatic firestorms have kept everyone away from Irvine Lake for more than a week. Employees have been able to go in sporadically, and report that although there were some close calls, none of Irvine Lake's facilities suffered any fire damage. When the lake does re-open, anglers will find that the lake's water level has risen somewhat, despite the activities of water-scooping fire control aircraft. Underwater visibility will be somewhat hindered, prompting the use of short 6 to 10-inch......
