Diamond Lake ready for opener.

Byline: Mike Stahlberg The Register-Guard

Diamond Lake will take its first small step along the road back to trout fishing glory Saturday.

Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife officials announced late Monday afternoon that the lake would be stocked in time for Saturday's opening of the high lakes trout season.

`We're excited that anglers have the opportunity to take a historic fishing trip to Diamond Lake this weekend,' said Umpqua Fish District biologist Jim Muck. `The ice is breaking up, and the water quality has improved to the point we can stock 6,000 healthy rainbow trout.'

That's far fewer than the 50,000 trout the ODFW had planned to release in Diamond Lake this week if conditions had been ideal. But it's more than the zero fish that would have been released had wintry conditions persisted any longer.

As recently as Saturday, 80 percent of the lake was still covered by ice, according Rick Rockholt, marketing manager at Diamond Lake Resort. At that point, it was questionable whether there would be any fish in the lake by opening day.

Diamond Lake, of course, was treated with rotenone last fall to rid it of all fish life - especially the estimated 98 million tui chub that had ruined trout fishery and water quality alike.

The ODFW had hoped to be able to spark a grand re-opening of Diamond Lake with a massive infusion of hatchery fish, ranging in size from pan-sized 9-inchers to five-pound lunkers.

For that to happen before opening day, however, the ice had to come off the lake and the cold water on the surface had to sink to the bottom (a process called "turning over"). Then winds had to help stir lake waters to assure sufficient oxygen and nutrients were available at all levels.

While all that hasn't happened, ODFW officials decided Diamond Lake's waters could support the 6,000 legal-size Cape Cod rainbow from Klamath Falls Hatchery that will be released later this week, thus allowing the lake to participate in the opener.

Another 74,000 catchable trout, including 50,000 one-pound-plus "trophy" trout from Island Springs Hatchery, will be released in subsequent weeks - most of them as soon as water conditions allow.

The less than full-blown stocking at Diamond Lake is the only blemish on an otherwise bright forecast for Saturday's opening of the 2007 traditional trout season.

All major fishing lakes in the Cascades east of Eugene - from Odell Lake north to Big Lava Lake - are free of ice. And most associated campgrounds are clear of snow and will be open. Notable exceptions include Trapper Creek Campground at Odell Lake and Coldwater Cove Campground at Clear Lake

Angler success on the upper McKenzie River, always a popular destination on opening day, will depend largely on water temperatures, according to Jeff Ziller, district fish biologist for the ODFW's South Willamette Watershed District.

"Water temperatures are about normal, so you can expect to have variable success depending on how warm it actually is on the few days prior to opener," Ziller said. "Temperature makes a big difference as to whether fish bite."

Monday, the McKenzie at Vida was a chilly 44 degrees, but it has been as high as 48 degrees several times this month. River temperatures downstream of Leaburg Dam are warmer, but that section won't be planted with hatchery trout until late next week.

By Saturday, ODFW hatcheries will have released nearly 30,000 trout this week in the South Willamette Watershed District.

The largest allotment - 7,000 pan-sized trout with clipped adipose fins - will be scattered in the McKenzie River from Forest Glen boat landing near Blue River to the head of Leaburg Lake. Another 3,000 trout will be released in Leaburg Lake itself.

In addition, many other area lakes and reservoirs were heavily stocked last week. Those waters include the Alton Baker canoeway and Blue River, Cottage Grove and Dexter reservoirs. Most coastal lakes in the Florence area were also planted again last week in anticipation of increased angling activity.

Meanwhile, conditions in the high country are generally favorable for opening day.

"The lake's as full as I've seen it in 25 years," said Crane Prairie Resort owner Pat Schatz. "Last year at this point we had about three feet of snow in the campgrounds. This year, we have a few places back in the woods that might have two inches."

Schatz said opening-weekend anglers should find their best success fishing in the shallows close to shore.

Wickiup Reservoir is also free of snow and full.

The ODFW's spring fishing forecast says early season anglers at Wickiup have a good chance to catch large brown trout while fishing early or late in the day.

Kokanee numbers are expected to be fair to good again this year, although the landlocked sockeye salmon will be scattered early in the season. They typically begin schooling in channels sometime in June.

At Odell Lake, the ODFW forecast says, "Expect fair catches of kokanee early in the season with improved catch as water warms in May and June." Anglers targeting kokanee typically enjoy the highest success rates at dawn and dusk. Bag limits are 25 kokanee per day (no size limits).

One lake trout (mackinaw) per day is allowed as part of the daily trout limit. The lake trout must be at least 30 inches in length.

Also opening Saturday is South Twin Lake - a reliable lake for rainbow trout angling that is popular because it can be fished from shore with great success. It also provides a sheltered angling opportunity when cold temperatures and wind become a problem on larger lakes nearby.

South Twin's rainbow typically run 11 to 13 inches with a fewer carryover fish in the 14- to 16-inch range.

For the ODFW's complete 2007 Spring Fishing Forecast, log on to: www.dfw.state.or.us/ RR/fishing_forecast/index.asp.