Bend, Ore. – Effective immediately, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has relaxed fishing restrictions at North Twin Lake in Deschutes County. The lake is scheduled to be chemically treated this fall to remove unwanted brown bullhead catfish.
The agency plans to treat North Twin Lake to remove the illegally-introduced brown bullhead in order to improve the rainbow trout fishery.
Under the temporary regulations now in place, there are no daily bag or possession limits, no size limits and anglers may harvest fish by hand, dip net and angling.
The goal is to give people the opportunity to harvest these fish before they are removed, said Erik Moberly, ODFW fish biologist in Bend.
The temporary regulations will be in effect until 12:01 a.m., Oct. 19 when North Twin Lake will close to all fishing during chemical treatment. The lake will re-open on Jan. 1, 2016 and will be re-stocked with hatchery rainbow trout in the spring.
The agency plans to begin the treatment of North Twin Lake to remove brown bullhead catfish on Oct. 26. According to Moberly, brown bullhead catfish compete with hatchery rainbow trout reducing the overall condition of rainbow trout in the lake.
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