The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is requesting that anglers voluntarily avoid fishing during certain hours of the day because of drought conditions.

Called “hoot owl” restrictions, anglers are asked to avoid fishing after noon and to only fish during the cooler “hoot owl” periods of the day when water temperatures are lowest.

The drought conditions and warm temperatures negatively impact fish in many ways.

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“Biologically, fish experiencing elevated water temperatures and associated lower oxygen levels will be highly stressed and, in some situations, have elevated levels of mortality or disease. Low water conditions may also limit fish abilities to naturally migrate for spawning or to seek cooler water refuge,” a press release from CDFW stated.

The press release went on to state, “coldwater species such as trout and salmon have the greatest likelihood of being affected by the drought this year, but low water levels and high water temperatures can potentially affect all inland aquatic species.”

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Water ways are added to a “Hoot Owl” watchlist when the afternoon water temperature exceeds 67 degrees. While hoot owl restrictions are voluntary, CDFW, “strongly recommends adhering to the recommendations.”

The current restrictions impact:

∙ The Lower Owens River (Pleasant Valley Dam downstream to Five Bridges)

∙ Hot Creek

∙ Mill Creek (Walker Basin)

∙ Lower Rush Creek (From Grant Lake to Mono Lake)

∙ Bridgeport Reservoir

∙ Deep Creek

∙ Crowley Lake

∙ Truckee River (From Lake Tahoe to Nevada Stateline)

∙ East Walker River (From Bridgeport Reservoir to Nevada Stateline)

∙ Upper Truckee River (From Lake Tahoe to headwaters, including tributaries)

During elevated temperatures, many fish species will often search out cold water refuges which include deeper water, spring seeps or cold-water tributaries. CDFW asks anglers to avoid fishing those refuge areas to avoid angling-based mortality.

For more information, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Hoot-Owl?