Hello fellow anglers, A small special report to give you some ideas for our upcoming Labor Day weekend.  This weekend has some special events going on for anglers and for those that just want to have fun with a lot of food. August 31st is free fishing day in California. All regulations must be adhered to but a license is not required.

 If you are headed to Topaz Lake for the weekend. The Topaz Lake Volunteer Fire Department will be holding it's 52nd annual deep pit BBQ on Sept 1st from noon to 6 pm. It is located at the fire station right above the Topaz Landing Marina on the lake. They will have a live band with dancing,  raffle prizes and a silent auction. Not to mention the the great BBQ which is cooked right there on site in a deep pit oven from the night before. For those going south a little more.

Bridgeport will be holding their 10th annual western BBQ and concert to benefit the Fishin' Mission Foundation on August 31st at the Bridgeport Barn and Terrace. Doors open at 6 pm for the dinner hosted by CoCo Moes Q from Gardnerville NV. Entertainment will be provided by Locked-N-Loaded. There is a no host bar provided by the Bridgeport Gun Club. Grand raffle prize will be a Pit Boss Austin XL wood pellet grill. Proceeds will benefit the Bridgeport Fish Enhancement Foundation ( BFEF ) to stock Bridgeport Reservoir with trophy rainbow trout. For more information visit fishin-mission-foundation.org.

For those sticking around the local area, the Carson River east and west fork in California will be stocked by Alpine County with 800 lbs of 1-5 lb rainbows. The east fork is running at 148 CFS and is perfect for late summer fishing. This may be the last plant for the west fork as the water levels are getting a little low. But that just means the next plant will be larger on the east fork.

Heenan Lake will open this weekend. The lake is located on Monitor Pass highway 89 south of Markleeville. Special regulations apply on this lake. Catch and release, artificial lures or flies with barbless hooks. The lake is open only  Friday Saturday and Sunday for two months out of the year, and will close on the last Sunday in October. Boats are allowed with electric motors only, You will have to hand launch as there is no ramp. I would recommend a float tube, kayak or canoe. Shore fishing can be a little tricky due to the weeds along the shore line. This lake is the home of the brood stock for the Lohontan Cutthroat trout, which provides eggs for hatcheries all over the United States.

 Hope to see you on the waters this weekend. If you get a picture of your catch, send it to [email protected]. I will be all over testing many of our lakes and rivers. Good Fishin' and tight lines.