It’s still not known who is responsible for bringing Northern Pike to Lake Davis, but the era of the predatory fish appears to be coming to a close in the Sierra Nevada town of Portola. Ten years after the first chemical treatment to eradicate the Pike, they not only stuck around, but thrived, despite control and containment efforts. The pike even came to the point of wiping out the fishery and ravaging the local aquaculture that the community’s economy depended on.
A second chemical treatment was conducted in the Fall of 2007. Unlike the first treatment in 1997, this round happened with complete community support and appears to have been successful. During the 2008 fishing season, 1 million rainbow trout were released into Lake Davis, reviving the fishery and moving Lake Davis to the top of every angler’s fishing destination list.
Abbott Dutton visits lake Davis to learn about the Pike and how the species of fish threatened the local lake and many surrounding businesses.