A HISTORICAL LOOK AT THE ALMANOR FISHING ASSOCIATION
Long before Lake Almanor was created by Canyon Dam, fishing was very popular in and around Big Meadows. The late 1800’s saw people from far and near coming to the Big Meadow Basin to escape the summer heat of the Central Valley and of course to fish the many springs, pools and streams of Big Meadows.

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"avid local fishermen decided to form an association whose goal was to preserve and grow the Lake Almanor fishery"

Volunteers on the fish pen complex. Fish are delivered by CDFW and then distributed into the pens in Hamilton Branch.

​Fast forwarding to the early 1980’s a group of avid local fishermen decided to form an association whose goal was to preserve and grow the Lake Almanor fishery. The Lake Almanor Enhancement Committee was formed. They partnered with the California Fish and Game agency and other concerned groups. It was recognized that while fishing was very popular there was little effort to maintain and increase game fish in the lake. In other words, the lake fish population was declining.

Volunteers wait with the transfer cage for new fish to be delivered by CDFW.

​The committee formed a fish pen rearing program which was started with what might be called home made floating pens. The program was a success and, in many ways, has changed little over the years. Young fish were provided by California Fish and Game, food purchased by the committee and feeding went on through the winter. Well fed, medium sized fish were released into the lake in the Spring.  Typically, 50,000 to 60,000 fish were raised yearly, no small matter considering winter snows and freezing temperatures greeted feeders every day as the fish were fed.

Volunteers clear the pens prior to feeding on a snowy morning.

​By the early 1990’s after some thought the committee decided a name change was needed, the Almanor Fishing Association came to be. Around 1992 the home-made pens were replaced with durable aluminum pens and are left in the water year-round. Fish raised varied as to species, originally salmon were selected, later various trout species were being raised and so it is today.

Membership has increased and the legendary summer “AFA BBQ” has grown from the early days of perhaps 100 folks to now over 500. The AFA depends solely on donations and fund raising efforts. This income allows the AFA to buy fish food, replace old pens and support our community in many ways

Reuben Chavez

Toni and Jim Pleau Julie and Reuben Chavez

​A special thanks to Jim Pleau for his help in writing this article. Jim is one of the founding fathers of the AFA along with Ruben Chavez and Paul Garrigo.
 
Steve Fleming, AFA