Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3821 Sept 27, 2019 | Page 19

en an Ro Dike 5 a Rd Dike 4 a Vist m ve elu ok M Dam Dike 3 Rabbit Creek Arm Dike 6 Hat Island Restricted Shoreline Keep Out Horse Island Spillway Elevation 236´ Little Hat Island Wad Camanche Arm Finnerts Cove Dike 2 Goodmans Corner Mokelumne River China Gulch 5 mph Dike 1 Restricted Area 5mph So u th South Cam 20 MPH No Skiing, Jet Skis or Personal Watercraft Southshore Burso n Rd anche P arkway Wallace Burson t C Eas To Highway 99 & Lodi Campers Cove Spillway Elevation 236 ft kway Causeway ay kw Restricted Area Keep Out ad Camanche ad Camanche Reservoir ne Ro To Liberty Rd, Highway 99 North Caman & Galt Buen Curr ista N To Junction Highway 12 & Stockton a V Reservation Rd Andrew Schmidgall of Lake Camanche Village hooked and released this 14.71 lb. largemouth bass while fishing a jig at Lake Camanche on September 2. Photo courtesy of Andrew Schmidgall. Photo courtesy of ANDREW SCHMIDGALL. Bu throughout the north state as an outstanding trout fishery. Each year, over 60,000 pounds of trout are stocked between October and June. The fish weigh at least a pound and go up to trophy sized 8 pounders, according to the Lake Camanche Recreation Company. Ten percent of the fish stocked in the lake and pond are trophy fish three pounds and over, including some real lunkers. The concessionaire plants only “triploid” fish — infertile fish incapable of spawning — since EBMUD biologists don’t want the rainbows mixing with the San Joaquin, Calaveras and Amador Counties To Jackson History and Size: Lake Camanche sits in the rolling Mother Lode foothills of the Sierra Nevada near Burson. The EBMUD reservoir covers 12 square miles, is 150 feet deep, and has 53 miles of shoreline when full. The lake is only a two-hour drive from most of the San Francisco Bay Area. Construction of the dam and reservoir on the Mokelumne River was finished in 1963. Fishing Season: Fishing for rainbow trout, black bass, channel catfish, bluegill, crappie and other fish is open year round at Lake Camanche. A $6.50 fishing access fee is required. Vehicle Entry/Parking: the daily fee for cars, motorcy- cles and small vans is $12.00 during the regular season and $9.00 daily during the off-season from October to April. Boating Facilities: Marinas on the North and South shores offer boat rentals, slips, fuel, bait, tackle and supplies. Boat ramps are located on both shores. The boat launching fee is $12.00 except for during the off-season from October to April when it is $9.00. Camping and Lodging: Full RV hookups, shoreline camping and lots of campsites with barbecues, tables, hot showers, restrooms and laundry facilities make Camanche one of the best recreational destinations in California. Fully furnished cottages at both shores and motel units at the North shore are also available. Vessel Inspections Required: The East Bay Municipal Utility District has taken several steps to manage the Quagga and Zebra mussel issue at Camanche. Vessels from Southern California and outside of California will not be allowed on Lake Camanche. All vessels from approved counties will be inspected prior to launch. These inspections should take no more than five minutes per vessel. You can help with the inspection process by ensuring all your water reservoirs are dry and that your boat is clean. For more information, including detailed descrip- tions of the vessel history survey and the physical inspection or to learn more about invasive mussels, please visit: https://www.ebmud.com/recreation/ invasive-mussel-prevention-program Facilities information: www.camancherecreation.com Lake Camanche – North Shore, 2000 Camanche Rd., Ione, Ca. 95640, 209-763-5121 Lake Camanche – South Shore, 11700 Wade Ln., Wallace, Ca. 95225, 209-763-5912 Camanche Reservoir Ri Camanche Lake Facts 17 Sept 27 - Oct 11, 2019 MAP FEATURE VOL.38 • ISS. 21 an am To New Hogan Lake Fishing Notes Rainbow Trout – are caught year-round, but winter and spring are the top times. Shore anglers catch trout in both the south and north shore recreation areas and South Shore Trout Pond. Anglers fish Power Eggs, Power Worms, PowerBait, Zeke’s Sierra Gold Trout Bait, nightcrawlers and salmon eggs. During the late spring and summer, trolling spoons and minnow imitation lures in deep water near the dam and in the Narrows is your top prospect. Largemouth, Spotted and Smallouth Bass – reward anglers fishing jigs, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, Senkos and other offerings throughout the year. Largemouths dominate the catches at this structure-rich reservoir. Channel Catfish – offer excellent action during the summer and fall when water temperatures are at their warmest. Soak chicken liver, mackerel, anchovies and stink baits in the coves. native run of steelhead in the Mokelumne River below Camanche dam. The largest trout I have every personally caught at Camanche was a 7-1/2 pounder that I landed while trolling in April over a decade ago, but many huge fish have been caught on this lake. You could catch the trout of a lifetime at Lake Camanche. Just ask Mark and Mike Seaters of Lodi, who teamed up to catch the lake record rainbow of 19.42 pounds while fishing a brown plastic worm near the dam on May 5, 1998. Ray Miles of Woodbridge set the record for the South Trout Pond when he bagged a 19.37 lb. largemouth while fishing a jig on March 28, 1998. While many anglers come to the lake to fish from shore or boat, very few are aware of the lake’s history. After the dam was completed and the reservoir filled in 1964, the remains of several Gold Rush towns were flooded. The most notable of these was Lancha Plana – “flat boat” in Spanish – a settle- ment in Amador County formed as a result of a flatboat ferry crossing across the Mokelumne River. Founded by Mexican settlers in 1848, it was situated on the north bank of the Mokelumne River, 9 miles south-southeast of Ione at an elevation of 220 feet. Lancha Plana Bridge crosses the lake now about where the town once stood. Other towns inundated by the lake rising waters include Arkansas Ferry, China Gulch, and of course, Camanche, the town that the reservoir is named after. The gold mining town, formerly called Limerick, became Camanche, named after Camanche, Iowa, in 1849. Since the lake is relatively shallow, with a maximum depth of about 150 feet when full, Camanche offers huge expanses of reefs and rock piles punctuated by standing timber and brush. The low areas between the rock piles act as channels and travel corridors that the lake’s trout, bass and other gamefish use for travel and security. Besides the lake itself, the South Shore also features the South Shore Trout Pond, regularly planted with trout in the fall, winter and spring. Beside rainbow trout and black bass, abundant populations of channel catfish, black crappie, bluegill and sunfish are found in abundance in the lake. Steve Anderson set a new crappie record on March 1, 2016 when he landed a 3.16 lb. crappie while fishing a jig. Jeff Howard set the lake catfish record on December 3, 2016 when he landed a 27.6 lb. channel cat while soaking chicken liver in the Narrows. While fishing for any of these species, you may see the iconic bald eagles that migrate south to Camanche every year. For more information, contact: Lake Camanche—North Shore, 209-763- 5121, or Lake Camanche—South Shore, 209-763-5912. visit LAKE CAMANCHE World-Class Trout & Bass Fishing, year round! 2 for 1 CAMPING Mid Week Camping Special! Your 2nd Night is FREE! CALL 866.763.5121 Camp one night at Lake Camanche and receive your second night free. Offer must be redeemed by calling (866) 763-5121 and mentioning promo code FS14 at the time of booking. offer not redeemeable online. Not valid on weekend, holidays, full hook-up RV sites or for cottage stays. Supplemental fees may apply. LAKE CAMANCHE’S AMENITIES • Guaranteed Weekly Fish plants (OCT. - MAY) • Boat Rentals • Lodging Available • Stores, Cafe & Marina Grill • Courtesy Launch Ramps on both North & South Shores • RV Sites w/ Full Hookups (LONG & SHORT TERM) 3805 www.CamancheRecreation.com