Lake Merced, An Urban Trout Fishery Reborn   By: Dan Bacher July 29, 2005 More Articles by Dan

The light spinning rod of six-year-old Mark Anthony Perez started bouncing up and down as a fish took off with his Power Bait. Perez grabbed the rod out of the rod holder and began reeling the fish in. After the trout made a couple of runs, the young angler slowly worked the fish up onto the bank. His dad, Raul, grabbed the fish quickly before it could escape back into the lake.

"It's the largest fish I've ever caught," said the excited angler as he proudly held up the fish for his family, who were eating lunch on the adjacent picnic area, to see. The rainbow was around 3 pounds, a quality fish at any lake in the state.

The amazing thing is that he caught the big trout at Lake Merced, a lake that for years had been written off by many Bay Area anglers as a nearly nonexistent fishery. On the same day, other anglers such as Arvin, Randy and Arnold Echana of Daly City also caught trout in the 3 to 5 pound range, catches that would have been unthinkable just a few short years ago.

As recently as the mid-1980's, Field and Stream magazine called Lake Merced "the crown jewel of urban fishing programs." Each weekend hundreds of children and their parents lined the banks of the lake in pursuit of rainbow trout, channel catfish and other species.

However, in the 1990's the lake became increasingly degraded as a result of excessive groundwater pumping from its underwater aquifer, according to Brian Stranko, executive director of California Trout. The lake level declined to only 9.5 feet above sea level. Tules 30 feet across grew over the exposed lakebed and choked off shore access.

The lake's once popular fishing piers became either damaged or marooned on the dry lakebed. The lake's continually low water levels and poor water quality caused a loss of dissolved oxygen, making the lake uninhabitable to trout and many aquatic insects.

What was once an "urban jewel" became transformed into a bad case of "urban blight." "

That all began to change when California Trout, alarmed by the decline in the lake's ecosystem and recreational fishery, filed a petition before local and state government resource agencies that requested limitations on ground water pumping to protect the lake. As a result, the water users became willing to negotiate.

Since then, California Trout has worked with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Daly City and the four private golf courses surrounding and south of lake Merced in a landmark settlement process, a process that will hopefully serve as a model for restoration of urban fisheries across the state and nation.

As a result of over two years of negotiations, the parties agreed to implement a comprehensive basin-wide management plan, to divert treated storm water into the lake, to use recycled water from the golf courses to halt further pumping of potable water, and to increase the water level to near pre-drought conditions.

The rise in water level is the most dramatic and visible change at Merced. The lake level this year has varied between 23 and 25 feet, a rise of 6 to 8 feet above the level when the former concessionaire departed from the lake because of poor fishing and water conditions, according to Mondy Lariz, the Lake Merced project manager. The lake is healthy enough now to maintain rainbow trout and other fish populations.

The fishery has rebounded enough to allow the organization and its partners to sponsor a major fish stocking event, " Trout Day," at Merced on April 24, 2004 and again this year on June 11, Free Fishing Day.

Over 2,000 people attended this year's "Trout Day" and enjoyed free fishing, equipment rentals, watershed education, tackle boxes and hats. Approximately 325 kids participated in the free kid's clinics. Pacific Gas and Electric provided $15,000 for the cost of the event, while the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission stocked $15,000 worth of fish.

For the Fourth of July weekend, the SFPUC paid for the stocking of another 2,000 pounds of lake into the North Lake. "These were all big fish in the 2-1/2 to 12 pound range from Mt. Lassen Fish Farm," said Lariz.

In addition, the California Department of Fish and Game is now making regular plants of catchable-size rainbows into Merced, approximately 25,000 pounds per year, according to Lariz.

On the day I visited Lake Merced, all of the fish taken were big rainbows in the 2 to 5 pound range; I didn't see any DFG catchables hooked. In addition, one angler nailed a 5 pound carp.

Lake Merced's fisheries have a unique and fascinating history. The lake is natural, fed by a freshwater aquifer. The lake features three sections: the North Lake, the South Lake and the Impoundment below the South Lake. At the time when European settlement began, the lake probably contained cool fresh water, according to a study about the fish species of Lake Merced by Ian Singer, Graduate Student of Geography at San Francisco State University. Sacramento blackfish and Sacramento perch, both native species, bred in the lake and are still found in it.

"Until the 1880's the lake was separated from the ocean by a sand-bar which breached periodically," said Singer. "In 1852, an earthquake opened the spit and the lake is estimated to have lost 30 feet of water. This would have offered an opportunity for marine fish tolerant of fresh or slightly brackish water to colonize the lake."'

Since 1939, the lake has been stocked with large numbers of trout and occasional other species - and has been poisoned four times during that period to control "rough fish" like carp. The DFG stocked bluegill, largemouth bass and Sacramento perch in the lake just before it was opened to the public in 1939 according to Singer.

Probably the most unusual fish introduction was when the state planted 90,000 muskellunge into the lake in 1893! Other introductions include kokanee salmon in 1961-62, brook trout in 1957-58, 1965 and 1977 and coho salmon in 1982. The DFG also stocked redear sunfish in the lake in 1983, black crappie in 1983 and channel catfish from 1994-1998.

Lake Merced is known as a sleeper urban fishery for largemouth bass and channel catfish, but most anglers here concentrate on the trout fishing. The South Lake yields the best action for bass and cats.

Stranko and Lariz would like to see other recreational and educational events to take place at the lake. In addition, the organization has submitted an ambitious concept paper to the San Francisco Parks and Recreation Commission to renovate the existing, dilapidated Boat House and make it into an educational and recreational center.

Lake Merced is truly a lake reborn - and I greatly thank California Trout for taking an admirable leadership role in restoring this badly needed urban fishery. For more information, contact California Trout, (415) 392-8887.

Lake Merced Facts

Location and size: Lake Merced is located in the southwest corner of San Francisco near the ocean. The lake has three sections: Lake Merced North (105 acres), Lake Merced South (203 acres) and the Merced Impoundment (17 acres).

Directions: From San Jose and the Peninsula, take I280 to Highway 1 in San Bruno. Turn west and drive one mile to Skyline Boulevard. Turn right on Highway 35 and drive five miles to the lake. Turn right at the lake entrance.

Fishing Access: There is plenty of parking available; I had no problem finding a parking spot there on the busy July Fourth weekend. There are three fishing piers, including a handicapped accessible pier, on the North Lake and two piers on the South Lake.

Seasons: The lake is open to fishing year-round. A fishing license is required for anglers 16 years and old. Rainbow trout offer the best action, but channel catfish and largemouth bass are also available.

Picnicking: Plenty of picnic tables and grass are located adjacent to the main recreation area on the lake's north side.

Boating: A bait shop and boat rental facility used to operate out of Lake Merced on the South Lake just across from the main recreation area on the north lake. No boat ramps or boat rentals are available on the lake now. California Trout has submitted a concept paper to open a Lake Merced Center and Program for Environmental Education and Outdoor Recreation on the site.

Bait and tackle: Hi's Tackle Box, 3141 Clement, S. 94121, San Francisco, CA (415) 221-3825, Gus' Discount Fishing Tackle, 3710 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94121, (415) 752-6197

Fishing/Trout Day Information: California Trout, Inc. 870 Market Street, Suite 528, San Francisco CA. 94102, Phone (415) 392-8887, Fax (4150 392-8895, Email: info@caltrout.org.

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