OC WAVES 3.9

THE JEWEL-LIKE BIG CREEK are stocked annually with more than 30,000 legal-sized rainbow trout. While most hit the deck as foot-longs, others are 20-inch-plus trophies.(Photos
by Rick Beasley)
of Reservoir No. 2, offer access to seldom-fished
banks along the south side of the lake. Anglers
should be wary of steep slopes, however.
Other fishing possibilities yet to be explored
include the original 1904 dam site on Blatner Creek
at the upper end and a five-acre backwater that
connects the two reservoirs. Shallow and perhaps
too warm in the summer, it looks too ‘fishy’ to
be ignored, agreed Gross. Besides finding a little
relaxation, anglers are performing a greater good.
“We like seeing the public up here,” Gross
concluded. “It keeps the troublemakers out —
the illegal campers, poachers and firestarters.
Fishermen are the best security against illicit
activities.”
While trout remain the primary reward,
other catches include bullhead catfish that are
prey to worms fished close to the bottom. Some
largemouth bass and sunfish also fin the reservoirs.
To reach the reservoirs, follow the signs just north
of Walmart and the Best Western Hotel directing
anglers to Big Creek Road. Turn east on Northeast
31st Street and then Northeast Harney Street before
heading east on Big Creek Road to Reservoir No. 1.
Follow the road about a half-mile to get to the second
reservoir.
OC WAVES • VOL 3.9
PAN-SIZED RAINBOW TROUT will make for a tasty fish
fry at angler Patrick Johnson’s kitchen.
BY RICK BEASLEY
POWER BAIT, in colorful tasty paste or plastic minnows,
is the surefire elixir of bait at Big Creek Reservoir, say
many anglers.
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