Riverside County Stocks Trout at Lake Cahuilla
LA QUINTA – Trout fishing is back at Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park, with a larger than typical stocking of 1,000 pounds of trout delivered to Lake Cahuilla on Tuesday.
LA QUINTA – Trout fishing is back at Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park, with a larger than typical stocking of 1,000 pounds of trout delivered to Lake Cahuilla on Tuesday.
The Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District welcomes visitors to the park, located at 58-075 Jefferson Street, La Quinta, CA 92253. The admission fee for fishing is $10 per adult and $8 per child.
A state fishing license is required for anyone 16 and older. The state fishing license is not sold at Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park, but can be purchased at local retailers.
For visitor safety, physical distancing and face coverings when around others are required. Every visitor will receive quagga mussel prevention materials from the county. No swimming or boating is allowed on the lake. Fishing equipment will be inspected upon entry, and any fishing bait brought into the park shall be in unopened and unused containers.
Supervisor V. Manuel Perez will visit the park at 11 a.m. Saturday to greet anglers and fishing and park advocates.
“Riverside County is delighted to restock trout in Lake Cahuilla, made possible with the decision of the Coachella Valley Water District Board of Directors to extend our lease for Lake Cahuilla for one year,” said Supervisor Perez. “It has been some time coming, and we welcome the resumption of trout fishing at Lake Cahuilla. We invite families to come out, use precautions such as wearing masks and remaining physically distanced from others, and enjoy a day at our Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park.”
Another stocking is expected on February 8 and on consecutive Tuesdays through March 23. A full stocking schedule can be found on the Web page for the county park, https://www.rivcoparks.org/lake-cahuilla.
This was the first restock since September 2020. The delay in stocking was due to several factors. The primary factor was a bacterial infection that impacted trout stocking throughout the southwestern area of the U.S. The county recently entered into a contract with a new vendor to supply fish at the county’s recreational lakes: Lake Cahuilla, Lake Skinner and Rancho Jurupa.
The trout restocking was able to move forward as a result of successful lease negotiations with the Coachella Valley Water District and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, that extended the county’s lease through March 2022.
Admission fees to the park directly contribute to the cost of fish stocking at the lake.
The county park, the first in the county park system named in honor of veterans, is open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The phone number for more information is 760-564-4712.
Caption – Nick Vela holds up what he caught at Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park Tuesday, February 2. Photo courtesy of Nick Vela.
Supervisor V. Manuel Perez represents the eastern two-thirds of Riverside County on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. Stretching from Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs, south to the Salton Sea and east to Blythe and the Colorado River, the 4th District is the largest geographical district in the county.
Supervisor Perez’s office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
