What Types of Fish Are In California Park Lake Chico California

jmorris32 · Post by **jmorris32** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 9:40 am

Hello Everyone,

I recently moved in to the California Park neighborhood in Chico, Ca. I have been fishing at the community lake for the last week or so and have had quite a bit of luck catching small bass but have not seen anything else in the lake.

Has anyone else fished this lake or know anything about the type of fish that are in the lake.

Thanks for your help!

MGJR · Post by **MGJR** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 6:22 pm

Share your pass...ill enlighten you! Ha ha.
Mostly bass and bluegill. Some squito fish and of course a few local gold fish.

Wade45 · Post by **Wade45** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 5:39 pm

Florida strain large mouth, blue gill, catfish, and white sturgeon.i saw two sturgeon hanging down on the deep end by the dam.

MGJR · Post by **MGJR** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 5:07 am

There are definitely not sturgeon in Cal Park Lake...

jmorris32 · Post by **jmorris32** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 9:09 am

I have herd that from a guy I met on the lake the other day.... Why would you say for certain there are no sturgeon?

MGJR · Post by **MGJR** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 2:27 pm

Several reasons, 1 there is no suitable habitat and they would not ever occur there naturally. Second, I'm a fishery biologist....lived here my whole life. I kinda have it on good authority. I did forget...there are some catfish.

Wade45 · Post by **Wade45** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 5:07 pm

I've seen 2 sturgeon side by side about 5 ft long. I've seen them off and on for 5 years. I used to have a pic on an old phone of a dead one by the dam. No reason to make it up. I can send you a copy of pic. I took one friend of mine over and showed him. They were hanging by the dam end. There are definitely sturgeon at cal park.

MGJR · Post by **MGJR** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 5:57 pm

You show me a photo, I'd be more inclined to believe you. Most likely....large Plecostomus somebody let out of their aquarium. If they are sturgeon, which is highly unlikely, they were illegally put there. Still...I highly doubt it.

Wade45 · Post by **Wade45** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:01 pm

Give me a couple days to find the pic of the sturgeon and I'll post it. When they stocked cal park with catfish back in the 70s you don't think some sturgeon may have been in the mix?

Wade45 · Post by **Wade45** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 5:46 am

I found and posted the pic I had on a 6 year old blackberry. I think it went to western bass photos.

Jeffrey Mann · Post by **Jeffrey Mann** » Sat Apr 07, 2018 8:11 am

Regard the Biologist saying that there are no white sturgen in California park lake, you my friend are mistaken! Five young white sturgen were planted here the same time they planted the Florida largemouth bass blue cats and red ear sunfish were, I've lived on the lake almost 7 years and you can see them breach to clean their gill plates. Lots of large lake snails and crawdads for them to eat the lake is has an area of about 150 yards thats 30 ft deep. Yes sir there are white sturgeon in Californpark lake.

MGJR · Post by **MGJR** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:57 am

The lake was planted more than 7 years ago. 5 is an awfully specific number...unless you were the one that physically did so, I would beware your source. Plus...the department would not have authorized it. I fish it weekly....yet to see a sturgeon.

Kyle46N · Post by **Kyle46N** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 11:09 am

Could someone have put long nose or alligator gar in there? They'll jump, or roll sometimes. And could be mistaken for a sturgeon.

basshol · Post by **basshol** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 11:22 am

That is definitely a dead Sturgeon in the picture

callwakeup · Post by **callwakeup** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 12:44 pm

Now I’m super curious.
Pls post the pic so we can all see.
“How will it end”.

basshol · Post by **basshol** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:26 pm

If you click on his name it will show his post.it shows the Sturgeon picture

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:36 pm

I dont see the picture

Kennortonjr · Post by **Kennortonjr** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:07 pm

Click on his name and then click "search user's posts" and it will show the picture...

I just moved into CalPark and am curious about the history of plantings. Is that right that there was just one official planting seven years ago?

Are there only largemouth bass in the lake, or are there spotted bass too?

MGJR · Post by **MGJR** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 6:30 pm

No spots.

fishmanj · Post by **fishmanj** » Mon Apr 09, 2018 8:38 am

I don’t know Cal park lake but it would not be a surprise to hear of just about any species in a body of water. The real variable would be the longevity of any given fish in a specific body of water. I have personally seen a white sturgeon in a very small body of water in the bay area.