The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Photograph by Robert Scheer

There are many spots around the county to catch your limit. Just ask Lee Ellis and Mario Schiaunza, who took these fish out of Stevens Creek Reservoir last week.

Summertime fishing makes for a reel good time

By Pam Marino

Got a hankering for the kind of fun Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer had down at the old fishing hole? Despite the urban nature of the Silicon Valley, there are some prime fishing spots where both kids and grownups can while away the summer days.

One of the closest spots is Stevens Creek Reservoir in Cupertino, where bass, blue gill, crappie and catfish bite every summer.

"Generally, the fishing is pretty good," said Senior Ranger Bernard Garrison, who drops his own line in the water now and then.

"We get thousands of people every year," Garrison said. "We get a lot of kids up here, which is good."

Most of the fishing is done from the shore, but there is a launch dock for any boat that is not gas-powered. The cost of launching a boat is $3. Floating tubes are acceptable, and like shore fishing, tubing is free.

The California Department of Fish and Game stocks the reservoir every spring with rainbow trout, but rising water temperatures and shrinking water levels in the summer make the lake inhospitable to those fish, which like cooler temperatures. Garrison said this year his budget will allow him to stock the lake with catfish to build up the population.

The reservoir is located in Stevens Creek County Park on Stevens Canyon Road (the road starts out as Foothill Boulevard in Cupertino). A parking lot near the launch dock is located next to the lake, in front of the rock quarry. For updated information about fishing there, call 867-3654.

Fishing licenses are required for anyone over the age of 16 at a cost of $26.50 annually, but Saturday, June 7, is an official "free fishing" day in California.

A coalition of community groups organized by the California Department of Fish and Game, called South Bay Fishing in the City, is taking advantage of the day by hosting a special event at Lake Cunningham off of Tully Road in San Jose.

Anyone who comes can participate in a free 30-minute clinic to learn how to fish. At the conclusion of the clinic, participants will receive a tackle box and can borrow a rod at no cost.

The group also stocks the lake the day of the event to make sure there are plenty of fish.

The organization sponsors five "loaner" sites, where anyone can borrow a rod for free throughout the year. Besides Lake Cunningham, those sites include Mel Cotton's Sporting Goods in San Jose, Ed Levin County Park near Milpitas, Coyote Hellyer County Park in San Jose and Coyote Bait and Tackle in Coyote near Coyote Creek Park. Borrowers fill out a form (kids need a parent's signature) and receive a "Tackle Loaner Card" good at any loaner site.

South Bay Fishing in the City is also sponsoring two special event days in the fall: Sept. 27 at Vasona Lake in Los Gatos and Nov. 9 at Lake Cunningham. For a brochure about the organization, call 354-4902.

Other fishing spots in county parks include Los Gatos Creek, off Highway 17 between Campbell and Los Gatos; the Lexington Reservoir, off Highway 17 above Los Gatos; the Alviso Marina near Milpitas; Anderson Lake, the Chesbro and Uvas reservoirs and Coyote Creek, all near Morgan Hill; Coyote Lake, near Gilroy; and Joseph D. Grant Park near Mt. Hamilton.

For more information about fishing in county parks, call the main office at 358-3741. Lake Cunningham officials can be reached at 277-4319.

[ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ]

This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, May 28, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.