The Almanor Basin welcomes newcomers
Once again members of the Almanor Fishing Association (AFA) are confirming their commitment to the health and vitality of Lake Almanor and its fishery.
In cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the group took delivery of roughly 50,000 rainbow trout from the Darrah Springs Fish Hatchery on Oct. 29 and 30. Upon delivery they were then transferred to the AFA trout pens located in the Hamilton Branch.
The fish will now be checked on and fed daily by the AFA volunteers until their ultimate release in the spring of 2020.
AFA president John Crotty explained that the water temperature of the lake is what determines the timing of the spring release.
They want the trout, that are now about 7 to 8 inches in length, to grow as much as possible prior to release, but they need to be let go prior to the upper water strata reaching the 50-degree levels.
Optimally they should almost double their length and weight before their release.
Once released the trout can go down to water levels where the temperature levels are colder and healthier.
AFA has also been caring and feeding about 40,000 brown trout hatched at the Almanor Research Institute at Chester High in spring 2019 and will be transferred to holding pens later this year.
