Eagle Lake trout are the only trout species able to survive in the alkaline waters of this lake, California's second largest natural lake with a surface of about 22,000 acres. The only other fish able to survive in Eagle are the Tui Chub and other native minnows that the trout forage upon.

The fine fishing found at Eagle Lake didn't exist 50 years ago. The lake's trout population was believed to be extinct until the DFG discovered a remnant run of trout in Pine Creek. From these few fish, the DFG began an artificial propagation program on Pine Creek, planting 5,000 six to eight inch trout in Eagle Lake in 1958.

The Department increased fish plant over the years to where 200,000 trout are now planted in the lake each season. DFG crews from Crystal Lake Hatchery near Burney collected 3 million Eagle Lake rainbow trout eggs in late March and early April this year at the DFG's Pine Creek Trap. Trout hatched from these eggs will replenish Eagle Lake with fish while supplying trout for dozens of other state waters, according to Paul Wertz, DFG public information officer.

Eagle is similar to Pyramid and Walker Lakes in being a Great Basin lake in the Lahontan system with no outlet. Like Pyramid and Walker, Eagle's trout have developed in a unique ecosystem. There has been some speculation among biologists whether the fish is more closely related to rainbow trout (steelhead) of the Sacramento River system or Lahontan cutthroat, but the anatomy is much more like a rainbow, so the DFG classifies these fish as a subspecies of rainbow.

Trout are caught in good numbers throughout the season, but late fall seems to be the best time to catch trout on Eagle. I hadn't been to Eagle since late November, 1989, when Chris Dunham and I trolled flies in the tules with guide Jay Fair to catch limits of big trout to 6 pounds. Hoping to repeat this quality fishing experience, I again went fishing at Eagle Lake on Sunday, November 12, after being invited by Rick Kennedy, fishing guide.

"There's weather coming in this weekend and that will do nothing but good for the fishing," said Kennedy, who has fished the lake since 1989. Eagle is famous for producing its top action when the weather is adverse: windy, raining, snowing, cold, icy and generally miserable.

On the day before our trip, the three anglers fishing with Kennedy found outstanding action, catching limits of trout to 5 pounds, along with releasing smaller fish. The average size of the fish was an amazing 4 pounds.

When we launched in the windy pre-dawn darkness at Mariner's Resort, Sean Karr, a friend of Kennedy's and skipper on Monterey and San Francisco bays, quipped, "It's just like fishing the bay - cold and windy."

Glenn Revheim of Redding, Ron Carfi of Ukiah, and I got in Kennedy's Jetcraft boat at 6:00 a.m. and sped off to the fishing grounds near Troxel Point. Kennedy put down plastic grubs in Root Beer, orange at 3 to 7 feet deep 100 feet behind the boat, a method that produced his hot action the day before. The bite was slow the first hour and then turned on as the sun crept through the dark, ominous clouds on the wind-tossed lake.

Revheim hooked up the first fish of the day, a big, bold rainbow just under 4 pounds that put a great fight on the light tackle - Loomis rods and Calcutta reels - that Kennedy uses. Ron Carfi was the second one to hook up, with a 2 pounder that Kennedy released. I hooked up the next fish, a beautiful, full-bodied 3 pounder.

For the next 1-1/2 hours we landed four more fish, ranging from 2 to 4 pounds. Then the bite shut off until Revheim caught our first fish in a couple of hours. After hearing a report on his cell-phone of great fishing off the Castle, Kennedy drove the boat over there. We didn't catch anything at the so called "hot spot" and decided to call it day at noon as the rain and wind increased. We ended up with limits of trout in the 2 to 4-1/2 pound range, all quality fish, as well as releasing a couple of fish.

Kennedy also likes to fly fish the lake with Jay Fair Wooly buggers in rust and tan patterns. "The best way to fly fish is by taking the boat to a good area non-accessible to bank anglers and then to wade and cast flies," said Kennedy.

Other anglers fishing that day reported mixed success. Tom Mulderrig and Bill Clayton of Stockton reported catching one 2-1/2 pound rainbow, while Frank San Marco and Sean Karr boated over 14 fish, keeping their two fish limits and releasing the rest.

Kennedy noted that the average size of the fish at Eagle has declined in the past few years, due to heavy fishing pressure. "Four years ago on your typical trip, you'd catch 20 trout and over half would be over 4 pounds. The target big fish would be seven pounds. However, now your target big fish will be 5 to 6 pounds," said Kennedy.

However, the average size of the fish being caught in Eagle Lake is still larger than most lakes, going 2-1/2 to 4-1/2 pounds. The fish bulk up throughout the season by feeding heavily on leeches, tui chub and fresh water shrimp in the nutrient-rich water. Catching these hard-fighting, fast growing fish in their unique native environment is a real treat for any angler.

Fishing will be good at Eagle until the lake begins to ice over, usually between mid to late December, according to Kennedy. If cold, blustery weather doesn't bother you, right now's the best time during the entire season to fish Eagle.

For more information about guided trips on Eagle Lake, call Rick Kennedy of Tight Lines Guide Service, (530) 273-1986. Other guides booking trips on Eagle Lake include Jay Fair, (877) 680-3474; Rene Villanueva of Steelie Dan's Guide Service, (916) 684-7148; and Scott Bartosh of Miner Moe's Guide Service, (530) 478-1986. For fishing and facilities information, call Mariner's Resort, (800) 700-5253; Eagle Lake Marina; (530) 825-3454 or Heritage Land Company, (530) 825-2131.