The reopening of most of the Los Vaqueros Watershed will now take place in mid-summer.

Though the expansion project remains ahead of schedule, by waiting until mid-summer to reopen most of the watershed and facilities like the Marina and Interpretive Center, we'll ensure that the vast majority of the project is complete and the watershed is safe again for visitors after a year of heavy construction.

We had planned an earlier opening in May, but it was apparent that we would not be able to open the watershed fully and may need to close public access from time-to-time as the project wrapped up. That did not seem like a good idea.

Until the re-opening, the entire north end of the watershed near Brentwood, including all trails, remains closed to the public until mid-summer.

But the south end, near Livermore, remains open for anglers with limited shoreline fishing. The Miwok Trail that connects Morgan Territory and Round Valley parks also remains open.

The project is going well, with much of the heavy work done. Over on the south side, the Marina building is coming together after being moved to higher ground. Much of the concrete work is done, but there is still paving of the parking lot to be done, along with installation of the new docks and fishing piers.

Golden Eagle Nesting at Los Vaqueros

The construction activity hasn't slowed the golden eagles.

Watershed Resource Specialist Mary Shea - who has tracked golden eagles at LV for many years - said there are four confirmed nests within the watershed, two at each end of the nearly 20,000 acre property.

She said the golden eagles will continue to incubate their eggs through March, and expects to see chicks in April.

1,000 Pounds of Large Trout Stocked

On March 5, we planted 1,000 pounds of trout at the reservoir. These were large 1.5 to 2 pound trout from the Lassen Trout Farm.

This was the first plant at Los Vaqueros since May, and we will be planting more fish.

While most anglers are still aiming for striped bass at Los Vaqueros, Manager Chris Senti said about 100 trout were caught in the days after the release.

Fishing Report:

GENERAL CONDITIONS
The South entrance to the reservoir near Livermore continues to be open for shore fishing. Just a reminder the marina and boat rentals are closed until the spring. We recommend calling us at (925) 371-2628 before coming out. The water level is currently at 46 percent of the new high water mark and rising. Our water temperature is 53 degrees. Anglers continued to catch some striped bass every day.

PLEASE NOTE:
• We are still giving out Whopper mugs so if you catch a big fish stop by the kiosk and weigh it on your way out of the park.
• We have State of California Fishing Licenses for sale at the kiosk
• We have frozen bait available at the kiosk.
• We remind anglers the limit on striped bass is two and they need to be at least 18 inches.
• Shoreline access continues to be limited due to expansion efforts. We were able to increase the available shoreline by about 100 feet.

TROUT
Trout fishing continues to be rated as slow. We have seen about 100 trout caught since the trout plant. The South Cove is your best bet. We planted 1000 lbs of 1.5 to 2 pound trout on Monday March 5. Nightcrawlers, power bait or power worms will take trout.

LARGEMOUTH BASS
As the water warms, we should start to see a few more largemouth bass. Tossing a senko in the South Cove is worth a try. Watermelon or purple are favorite colors. Crank baits should also be effective. Please practice catch and release.

STRIPER
Fishing for stripers continues to be your best bet at the reservoir. Stripers from 18 inches to 8 lbs are caught by anglers putting in the time. Striped bass will average between 5 and 7 lbs. We anticipate striper fishing continuing to be a solid choice throughout the winter months. Cut anchovies, sardines or shad work well. Some anglers will add shad scents to their bait. We suggest you take advantage of the 2nd rod stamp available from Fish and Game. Many anglers will use different baits on each rod. On slow days we see 10 or 15 bass and on good days 40 or 50 with some limits included.

SALMON
No reports of salmon. Very few anglers are focusing on salmon.

CATFISH
Fishing for catfish is slow due to cold water and lack of any rain. An occasional catfish is caught by anglers fishing for stripers. We need more rain and warmer water to spark the catfish bite. Maybe the rain we are getting will do the trick.