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SPRING IS HERE 4.01.09
OUR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SYSTEM.. and other news
Spring has arrived and we want to update everyone on some exciting news here at Caples Lake Resort. Soon El Dorado Irrigation District will restock Caples Lake with thousands of fish. On top of that, the lake levels were a bit higher than anticipated by Fish and Game during the winter, so we are hoping the trophy fish survived the freeze. The new boat ramp east of Caples Lake Resort that was started last fall is expected to be completed by the end of 2009. Finally, we want to share with you our alternative energy system that has been in place since 2006. Take a few moments to watch Caples Lake Manager Richard Haurlan as he explains our switch from diesel to solar and wind.
Happy 2009… May You Have A Prosperous New Year
Caples Lake
Caples Lake Fishery On Ice
January 2009
By Kathleen Newell
Alpine County, CA — If you’re not familiar with the area, then you probably won’t see anything out of the ordinary as you pass by snow-covered Caples Lake. For locals like Richard Haurlan, Manager of Caples Lake Resort, it’s obvious the lake is missing. As anticipated, last summer’s drawdown of the lake by El Dorado Irrigation District for emergency dam repairs has left only a small pond. Caple’s normal size is approximately 630 acres with a depth of 60 feet. Haurlan says a recent measurement shows it at a few acres and around 20 feet deep. It may get as low as 10 to 15 feet.
In spite of the shallow water Haurlan says he’s hopeful the remaining trophy rainbow, brown and mackinaw trout will survive the winter freeze– although it’s going to be a rough ride for the fish. Right now the ice is at 10 inches and expected to thicken to five or six feet. That leaves little room in the muddy water below the ice for the fish to exist.
Mark Sullivan
What’s bad for the fish is good for the fisherperson. Fifteen-year resident and ice angler Mark Sullivan says there are a lot of big fish still in there. He says his latest catch netted him,
”…two 18 inch mackinaws and a 12 pounder, and I released them, so they are still out there.”
Haurlan agrees,
“even after the fall fish rescue, there’s a whole lot of big fish still in there… we took a fish finder out there a couple weeks ago and where the water is around 20 feet deep, we found a bunch of fish.”
Haurlan says it’s a great opportunity for ice anglers to catch a big one.
Bear Claw Ice
In spite of the low water, Caples Lake is still breathtakingly beautiful and there are plenty of other things to do in the area. Sullivan says when he’s not working at nearby Kirkwood Resort, he’s either out cross-country or downhill skiing, as well as snowboarding and, of course, fishing.
Pure Fun
“All that stuff is a blast… this is an absolutely unbelievably gorgeous area… just getting out in the woods and being by yourself… it’s awesome.”
Red Trees at Caples
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MOVING FORWARD 9.9.08
Well—with all the news about the “DAM” repairs, “Draining” of the lake, the “NEW LAUNCH RAMP CONSTRUCTION,” and the recent “FISH RESCUE”— fisherpeople and travelers all think “THE LAKE IS CLOSED FOR FISHING”!
BUT—NOT ONLY IS CAPLES LAKE OPEN FOR FISHING, THE FISHING SHOULD BECOME INCREDIBLE AS THE LAKE IS LOWERED FROM A VOLUME OF 19,000 ACRE FEET ON JULY 1 TO LESS THAN 1000 ACRE FEET BY SEPTEMBER 20TH. SEE THE NICE GERMAN BROWN CAUGHT ON 9/1 BY AL FROM PLEASANT VALLEY.
Fisherpeople can safely park along Highway 88 and easily walk down to fish the lake. They can also still rent fishing boats and kayaks in the water at Caples Lake Resort.
The beach launching has been difficult for the last month, but an accessible beach area launch was found in the last week on the west arm of Caples Lake accessed from the boat ramp at Caples Lake Resort. See the 12′ aluminum fishing boat taken out ON 9/1 and re-launched on Sunday September 7th by “you guessed it” , Al from Pleasant Valley.
Photos by Richard Haurlan, manager of Caples Lake Resort.
