Lost Creek Lake stocked with 'big, beautiful' trout

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October 15, 2009

By Mark Freeman

Mail Tribune

TRAIL — Anglers were welcomed back to Lost Creek Lake Tuesday after almost a month away from Jackson County's largest waterbody because of the latest outbreak of toxic blue-green algae.

And now that trout anglers can fish the Rogue River reservoir without fear of illness, they have some extra-big trout to target there beginning today.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will stock the lake with about 850 trophy-sized rainbows, all raised at nearby Cole Rivers Hatchery to eclipse a pound.

"They should be big, nice and beautiful fish," says Dan VanDyke, the ODFW's Rogue District fish biologist in Central Point.

The fish originally were scheduled for stocking in mid-September. But the discovery of blue-green algae and the public-health advisory against water contact there convinced VanDyke and others to back off on the stocking until the lake cleared.

"We'll release those fish now and folks can jump right on them without any worry about blue-green algae," VanDyke says.

Anabaena flos-aque has been a constant worry at the reservoir for the past four years, when various outbreaks have triggered public-health advisories against water contact by people and pets.

The latest began Sept. 18, when tests revealed algae cell counts that were slightly higher than the World Health Organization guidelines that trigger advisories, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the lake.

But the bloom seemed to dissipate quickly, says Chad Stuart, the Corps' natural resources manager at the lake.

Tests on water sampled Sept. 29 revealed extremely low levels of algae, Stuart says. Protocols call for waiting two weeks for the toxins to dissipate after the algae die-off, and that wait ended Tuesday, Stuart says.

A similar algae outbreak in August along the Umpqua River led to Oregon's first confirmed death of a dog from toxic poisoning, and word of that death likely contributed to people heeding the public-health advisory, Stuart says.

Lost Creek Lake isn't alone in getting a timely dose of fresh trout for fall fishing.

Six other lakes or ponds in Jackson and Josephine counties are set to get fresh complements of large rainbow trout from a private eastern Oregon hatchery as part of the ODFW's effort to buy and stock more trout from private facilities.

Hyatt Lake east of Ashland is set to get 1,000 rainbows today, 12 to 14 inches long, and 50 more that average 16 inches — double the size of trout normally stocked by the ODFW.

Five other water bodies will be stocked next week, VanDyke says.

Applegate Lake will get 1,000 of the 12- to 14-inch trout and 150 of the trophy rainbow, while Agate Lake will get 500 larger trout and 150 trophies, VanDyke says.

Expo Pond will get 250 large trout and 100 trophy trout, he says.

In Josephine County, Lake Selmac near Selma will get 1,000 large rainbows and 150 trophies, while Reinhart Park Pond in Grants Pass will get 100 large trout and 50 trophies, VanDyke says.

The fish were bought from the Desert Springs Hatchery near Lakeview.

Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail mfreeman@mailtribune.com.

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