Sturgeon will be coming to Santa Ana River Lakes and Corona Lake on regular basis !!
Hard-fighting, high-jumping, gourmet sturgeon will be planted in Santa Ana River Lakes and Corona Lake on a regular basis beginning Father's Day weekend. And for the first time, anglers will be allowed - encouraged even - to keep these delicious gamefish.

The initial plant will consist of 5,000 pounds of mainly three to 5+ pounders, and there will be regular plants in both lakes after this initial plant which will be in the five to 15 pound class.

"These are gourmet fish," said Craig Elliott with The Lakes. "We've been able to work out an exclusive deal and get quite a few of them and we plan to plant them for anglers - maybe forever."

The white sturgeon are from a highly acclaimed Caviar-producing operation near Sacramento, and the meat is sold around the world to gourmet restaurants. Chefs love their firm, dense, white meat that is always tender and moist.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they quickly become our most popular fish," said Elliott of the fish that fights as hard and jumps as high as the scrappiest rainbow trout. "We've been planting 'Nebraska Tailwalkers' during trout season, and these fish might end up being called 'California Tailwalkers' once anglers start hooking them. And after they've had them on the barbecue, there's no doubt in my mind the word will spread quickly."

Sturgeon have been planted in waters throughout Southern California, including Santa Ana River and Corona Lakes, but most stockings have been small numbers of big fish from 25 to 100 pounds or more. At The Lakes, anglers were asked to release the sturgeon. But that is all changing come Father's Day weekend when hundreds of fish will be put in both waters and anglers will be allowed to catch and sample the wonderful table qualities of these prehistoric fish.

The sturgeon are the major component of the big Warmwater Grand Opening at both Santa Ana River Lakes and Corona Lake for June 19-21, Father's Day weekend. There will also be bonus plants of thousands of pounds of "Silver" channel catfish along with tilapia put in to complement the sturgeon. There will be thousands and thousands of pounds of all three fish planted.

Santa Ana River Lakes and Corona Lake are both open seven days a week with fishing allowed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on day passes or from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on an evening pass. Each of these passes is $22.. Seniors only pay $20, with a special $17 pass sold on Wednesdays. All of these passes have a five-fish catfish and tilapia limit. The 24-hour passes are sold every Friday and Saturday and are just $60. Anglers can bring a spouse and up to three kids to help fill the 24-hour pass 15-fish catfish and tilapia limit. Sturgeon can be mixed into these limits, but anglers with regular passes can only keep two sturgeon five pounds and under or one fish from five to 15 pounds. Bigger fish must be released. Anglers on 24-hour passes can keep three sturgeon under five pounds and two fish over five pounds. Anglers can fill out the total limit of five or 15 fish with catfish or tilapia.

For Santa Ana River Lakes fishing information, call 714-632-7830, or for Corona Lake updates, call 951-277-4489. You can also log on at www.fishinglakes.comfor more information.