Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3907 Mar 13-27 | Page 17
VOL.39 • ISS. 7
Lake Amador
I-5
49
16
Amador County
El
925
124
Lake
Amador
Jackson
Elv
588
12
Lodi
49
88
ck
Ro
Boat Camps
Stockton
ek
Cre
580
Spillway
To
Rio Vista
Elv
577
k
ree
C
son
k
Jac
Lake Amador
El 468
Kr
eth
Cr
eek
Jackson Creek
Camp
Dock
R.V.
Dock
Lodge
To
Ione
Picnic
Area
Swimming
Pond
Ditch
Isaacs
El
Fishing Notes Jackson Spillway
639
• Fishing for Amador’s Rainbow Trout is best when plants are taking place from mid-October through early June. Bank fishing is
best for anglers fishing Power Bait, Pautzke Fire Bait, salmon roe and nightcrawlers in the top 3 feet of water until the water
temperature warms up in the spring. Trollers use Needlefish, Cripplures, Rapalas, Rebels, Yo-Zuri’s and other minnow imitation
lures.
• Florida-Strain Largemouth Bass offer year-round action. Night fishing with jigs and Power Worms is best during the fall.
During the winter, drop shotting with small plastics off main body points in 15 to 30 feet of water is most productive. Spring and
summer baits include spinnerbaits, plastic worms, Zoom Flukes, crankbaits and top water lures.
• Channel Catfish action reaches its prime in the summer and fall. Toss mackerel, chîcken liver and stinkbaits off the points.
• Crappie fishing is best off docks and other structure in spring and fall. Fish mini-jigs and live minnows.
Swimming in the current forces the fish to
become strong and healthy.
Third, the resort uses top quality
“EWOS” food to raise their fish. Since it
includes krill and sardines, it helped give
the fish’s flesh their unique pinkish orange
color.
Fourth, the lake management keeps the
amount of fish in the hatchery at a lower
density than the state and other hatcheries,
so the fish display squared, rather than
rounded, tails.
Fifth, the quality of the fish they raised
also has to do the unique strains of fish
they raise. While they first spawned fish
from brood stock, they began buying eggs
because it was less expensive.
“We raised kick-ass fish that fought like
hell,” said Lockhart. “However, because
costs to raise fish have tripled, we aren’t
going to be able to raise 100,000 fish per
year like we used to.”
Trout provide the most popular fishery
at Amador from October through May, but
the lake also features excellent popula-
tions of Florida-strain largemouth bass,
channel and blue catfish, black crappie,
redear sunfish and bluegill.
The largemouth found in Amador are
Florida strain/northern hybrids. Northern
strain bass were planted in the lake after
it was filled in 1968, followed by the
introduction of Florida-strain largemouth
by the CDFW in 1973.
The lake management also plans to plant
channel catfish this spring and summer,
like they did over the past two years, to
supplement the lake’s catfish population.
Over the years, Amador has produced
some huge fish. The lake record bass,
caught in 1986 by Tim Kamura, weighed
17.1 lbs. The record catfish, caught by
Joel Issac, weighed 39.6 lbs. The record
crappie weighed 4.1 lbs.
The Hook’D Bait and Tackle in Ione
will hold a bass tournament at Lake
Amador on March 22. Information: (209)
790-5100.
Amador is located only one hour from
mation, contact: Lake Amador Resort at
Sacramento and Stockton, and only
209-274-4739, www.lakeamador.com.
two hours from
anywhere in the
Bay Area. The 1300
acre facility offers
a heavily--stocked
400 acre lake, with
an updated dual
lane boat launch
and a large fishing
• Cafe • RV Park • Waterslide
dock for shore
• Campground • Disc Golf
anglers. The surface
• General Store
temperature was
around 53 degrees
Cafe Open Seasonally On
and the lake level
Friday, Saturday & Sundays
was 26 feet from
209-274 -4739
full at press time.
7500 Lake Amador Dr., Ione, CA 95640
For more infor-
LAKE
AMADOR
Trout Planted Seasonally!
Terese Carter of Sacramento had a great
day at the lake with her husband, Daryl,
when she caught this 6.65-pound cutbow on
PowerBait.
Photo courtesy of LAKE AMADOR RESORT,
ione.
50
With better water conditions, the resort
reopened the hatchery in 2017.
The hard fight that Amador’s own
hatchery raised trout have historically
provided anglers, along with their
beautiful fins and colors, are due to the
unique strains of fish grown here and the
conditions they are raised in.
First, the hatchery raises the fish in tanks
5 to 6 feet deep, rather than 18 inches
deep like other hatcheries, making for
better growing conditions.
Second, when the fish reach the age of 8
months and are taken out of the raceways,
they are raised in 7 octagonal tanks with
a constant current running through them.
Placerville
Sacramento
Location: Lake Amador, located on Jackson Creek
in the Mother Lode foothills near Ione, features 400
surface acres and 13-1/2 miles of shoreline when
full. The reservoir is managed as a fishing lake – no
water skiing or jet skis are allowed.
Fishing Season: Fishing is open year round. The
lake management and California Department of
Fish and Wildlife plant the lake from mid October
through mid June, depending upon the surface
water temperatures.
Resort Facilities: Amador is a full service resort
complete with a marina, fishing dock, café and
store. The Tackle Box Cafe, located in the Lodge,
serves breakfast and lunch on Fridays, Saturdays
and Sundays. Also located in the lodge is a large
general store and beer bar with a large screen TV. A
well-stocked bait and tackle store with rental boats
is also located in the lodge. Unlike many other
lakes, Amador encourages fishing from its docks.
The resort also features two 18-hole disc golf
courses and a DG pro shop.
Launch Ramps: The lake has an expanded
launching ramp with new docks and a paved
parking area lighted at night for nocturnal fishing
adventures.
Camping: Full hook-up RV sites and a 150 site
campground, with showers and flush toilets, are
nestled along the shoreline of Lake Amador. The
sites are available year round with reservations
or just show up. They always have room except
maybe on some holidays.
Day Use and Other Fees: The parking fee (1
vehicle up to 4 people) is $10.00; each additional
person is $2.00. The fishing permit costs $9.00 per
day. The boat launch fee is $7.00 per day; kayaks,
canoes and float tubes are $4.00 per day.
Fishing information: Lake Amador Resort at (209)
274-4739, www.lakeamador.com.
Lake Amador Facts
15
March 13-27, 2020
MAP FEATURE
WWW.LAKEAMADOR.COM