By Dan Bacher

Known for years as a sleeper for black bass, crappie, catfish and rainbow trout, Indian Valley Reservoir is now coming into its own as a hot spot for catching fat, trophy-sized kokanee salmon.

Fish over 3 pounds have been caught at the lake this year, larger than any fish taken from trophy kokanee fisheries such as Lake Tahoe, Don Pedro and New Melones. The largest documented kokanee caught in the state this year to date was the 3 pound, 3 ounce 20-1/2 inch beauty that Jason McDaniel of Nevada City fooled with an Uncle Larry's spinner this summer at Indian Valley. Even larger fish are expected to be caught before kokanee fishing slows down after they enter the spawning mode this fall.

The reservoir, situated in the rolling foothills of the Coast Range in Lake County, has 4,000 surface acres and 41 miles of shoreline when full. It is accessible by means of a hot, dusty dirt road, Walker Ridge Road, that joins Highway 20 between Clear Lake and Williams. However, getting your truck and boat a little dirty from the drive to and from the lake is well worth the reward of battling the hefty kokanee that thrive here.

Steelhead and king salmon historically ran up the North Fork of Cache Creek into the canyon where Indian Valley is now located. Although the native salmonids are gone, the reservoir now supports a quality trout and salmon fishery. The Department of Fish and Game annually stocks Indian Valley with 18,000 Eagle Lake-strain rainbow trout and 24,000 to 50,000 kokanee. The Department began planting kokanee in Indian Valley three years ago, with 24,600 kokanee planted this spring. The introduction of the kokanee is a big success, as evidenced by a recent trip that I made to the lake.

I fished with Scott Bartosh and Jason McDaniel of Miner's Moe Guide Service, while Paul Kneeland, Fish Sniffer Advertising Director, fished with Vic and Jennifer Standridge of Vic's Custom Rods. We launched the boats onto the water about 8 a.m., after stopping in to check with the amiable Bob Watson, who runs the Indian Valley Store. It was a beautiful cool August morning, more similar to October than a mid summer morning on a lake known for its hot summer temperatures.

McDaniel and Bartosh put the custom light graphite and fiberglass rods, all made by Standridge, in the water just after we launched from the boat ramp. They put sockeye Slammer Lures, Wedding Rings and Ted's Kokanee Bugs, behind Vance's Dodgers at a variety of depths.

Within minutes of leaving the boat ramp, we were hooked up with a brawlin' kokanee. I boated and released a 15 inch kokanee, the first of the day, while McDaniel successfully battled a fat fish in the 16 inch range, which we kept.

In the first hour of fishing, we hooked six and landed four kokanee up to 17 inches as we entered the area near the face of the dam, the hot spot for kokanee over the past several weeks. Meanwhile, the Standridges and Kneeland were finding even better action while trolling Sockeye Slammers, Uncle Larry's Spinners and other lures. They tipped some of the lures with Berkley Power Niblets and left others without any added enticers.

The fishing entered a temporary lull until about 10:30 a.m. when the action rebounded. By the time we stopped at noon, we had landed 28 fish and lost numerous others, keeping 15 gorgeous kokanee. We fished 41 to 71 feet deep, over 90 feet of water, in the lake's main body.

During the morning, we had to deal with a comedy of mishaps, the result of a botched repair job by an incompetent "mechanic" at a local marine dealer. The four batteries, all charged that morning, died out because of a short in the wiring and we had to borrow a battery from Standridge.

The mechanic had also broken off a sparkplug in the engine, making it unusable. Even worse, the "kicker motor" fell off its bracket into the water around 11:30 a.m., but quick action by McDaniel, who jumped into the lake, saved the motor. Standridge had to tow us into the ramp. It was a frustrating day, but the fishing and camaraderie were superb.

"Fishing was even hotter on last Sunday," said Bartosh. "Three clients fishing with me caught limits of kokanee by 9:30 a.m."

"The fishing has been steady for the last two years," he added. "However, the big fish didn't start showing until this year. Kokanee fishing has been red hot here for the past three months and should continue until the fish start spawning."

We held a fun big kokanee contest between the two boats. Jennifer took a kokanee measuring 18-1/2 inches long and weighing over 2 pounds, but it didn't compare to my shorter - 17 inch - but heavier fish weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces.

The average size fish was 1-1/2 to 2 pounds; we caught only one fish under 15 inches, a 13 incher. We also released a 16 inch Eagle Lake-stain rainbow trout.

Indian Valley also has an impressive population of largemouth and smallmouth bass. Fishing is good throughout the year for both species, with the best action found in the spring and fall. One angler caught two Florida-strain largemouths weighing 13 and 14 pounds at the lake last summer, according to Bob Watson at the Indian Valley Store.

The lake is also traditionally known for its hefty crappie, although the fishing has been tough for some reason over the past two years. Paul Kneeland caught and released a 4 pound crappie while bass fishing with plastic grubs at the lake in 1997. Redear and bluegill sunfish round out the panfish parade at Indian Valley.

Lunker catfish also prowl the waters of Indian Valley. Resident catfish experts, Bill and Nita Green of Clear Lake, reported catching 143 catfish in four days several years ago. They also took the lake's record catfish, a 39 pounder. Catfishing is best in the summer and fall months for anglers fishing mackerel, chicken liver, nightcrawlers and a variety of cut baits.

The Yolo County Water Conservation District runs Indian Valley. Day use, including boat launching, is $5.50 per day for one person in a vehicle, with $1.00 charged for each additional person. The camping fee is $12.00 per night for three people, with $2.00 the first night for each additional person. No reservations are necessary.

Indian Valley is managed as a fishing lake, so a 10 mph speed limit is in effect throughout the lake. Information about current fishing and boating conditions is available by calling the Indian Valley Store at (530) 662-0607. For guided kokanee and trout trips, call Scott Bartosh of Miner Moe's Guide Service at (530) 478-1986.

September 13, 1999

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