Fishing continues to be a popular sport in CL

Sam Hammond and Johnny Gompper spent a recent Wednesday night fishing from Holiday Harbor for largemouth bass. Although the anglers didn’t catch anything, they reminisced about their weekend and caught up with friends they saw at the park. Photo by Brooke Grasso

Fishing in Canyon Lake has proven to be quite the catch among anglers and, although its fishing community has changed throughout the years, one thing that remains constant is that fishing continues to swim into the hearts of residents.

Resident Sam Hammond, 18, fishes in Canyon Lake almost every day, mostly from the Lodge, and says that he has noticed a difference in water clarity recently.

“If you’re trying to catch bluegill, on the surface you can see them,” he says. “They can see the bait from farther away, and you can cover more water that way.”

The water’s visibility has significantly increased after recent alum treatments, a process that removes nutrients in the water that contribute to algae growth. According to the Lake Elsinore and San Jacinto Watersheds Authority (LESJWA), the treatments are not hazardous to fish.

President of Bassmasters, a Canyon Lake bass fishing club founded in 1995, Travis Smith says he has also noticed the water clarity increase.

“The most we would see back in the day would be maybe six to seven feet visibility, and now you can see almost 12 feet down,” he says.

Johnny Gompper, 19, has noticed that fish beds are visible now, and he can see them during spawning season. Although the anglers agree that the water clarity has improved, they have also noticed a decline in the quantity of fish in the lake. In previous years, the lake was stocked with fish; however, no fish have been brought into the lake recently.

“There used to be a lot of bluegill in the water, but now they are few and far between,” Travis says. He is not sure why there has been a decrease, but says the cormorants, birds that primarily eat fish, could be to blame.

Despite noticing less bluegill, Travis believes that Canyon Lake has a good population of fish, which includes, bass, catfish, crappie, carp, bluegill and shad along its 14.9-mile shoreline.

Sam Hammond has lived in Canyon Lake for 10 years and says that he thinks the amount of fish has declined since he first moved here. “I would see bass cruising up the shore line and they were pretty catchable; but with all the treatments and people on the water almost every day, it has kind of screwed it up,” he says. “It is still a great fishery compared to everywhere else.”

Travis agrees that Canyon Lake has many qualities that other lakes do not, saying, “We are able to fish at night time; a lot of lakes do not let you fish when it is dark. It is our own private lake and a bunch of outsiders can’t just come in here and mess things up.”

Travis also appreciates that most anglers catch and release the fish, allowing them to grow larger each time.

For Johnny Gompper, fishing is his way to cast the worries of the day away. “You’re fishing – you aren’t caring about work or how much money you have, you are just fishing,” he says. “I use it as a stress reliever; it is a time to get away from everything.”

Sam believes fishing has taught him many important lessons he will remember for life. “It teaches you persistence,” he says. “It helps you out with problem-solving, and it keeps your mind sharp.”

Residents who would like to learn more about Bassmasters may contact Travis Smith at 951-525-7550. For information about Junior Bassmasters, contact Sal Gervasi at 951-244-3295.