KIRKWOOD, Calif — The mountain community of Kirkwood in Alpine County is best known for its ski resort, but just below the ski resort are the frozen waters of Caples Lake, ideal waters for ice fishing.
Caples Lake sits just over 7,800 feet in elevation and temperatures are cold allowing thick layers of ice to form.
One of the most knowledgeable anglers in this area is fishing reporter Doug Busey who has been reporting on fishing conditions at Caples Lake and other lakes for over 30 years.
“Sometimes it can be good and sometimes not. That’s why it’s called 'fishing,' not 'catching,'” said Busey.
You’ll find his reports in a number of publications, including the Tahoe Daily Tribune, and for a while he was even on cable access TV.
“I’m a fishing fool and a fishing reporter,” laughed Busey.
Once your hole is drilled in the ice, fishing is easy. Put some bait on your hook and drop it down the hole.
“Some people use power bait, salmon eggs, night crawlers, meal worms,” said Busey.
A comfy chair is important and so is the right-sized fishing pole to get you close to the hole. Bigger or longer is not better.
“With a normal five or six foot pole, you are standing way back from the hole and you can’t control your jigging,” said Busey.
Jigging is the process of moving your fishing pole up and down and moving the bait around to attract the fish. Doug says you should only fish on ice when it's thick enough.
“I tell people never go on ice unless it is 6 or 8 inches thick,” said Busey.
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Caples Lake holds a variety of fish, but Busey is after trout — rainbow, brown or mackinaw. This requires a little patience and if the fish aren’t biting in your first hole, you can always drill a second or a third. Bucey says it’s not uncommon to drill a dozen or more holes.
If you get hungry from the lack of a catching, you can always head to the Caples Lake Lodge for a burger. They’ve been providing good food and a cozy view of the lake since it was built in the 1940s. New owner Mike Niccoli has put a lot of work into updating the cabins and the marina.
“We’ve done a complete remodel down here,” said Niccoli.
In the summer you can rent fishing boats.
Back on the lake, we ended up hooking a monster mackinaw, aka lake trout. There’s an old saying, "A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work," and that is true on Caples Lake whether you catch one or not.