ODFW release – LAKEVIEW, Ore. – Due to drought conditions and low water levels ODFW has lifted all size limits and daily bag limits for all species of fish as well as gear restrictions from July 22 through Oct. 31, 2022, at Holbrook Reservoir and July 22 through Sept. 18 for Heart Lake. Persistent drought has resulted in low water conditions. The seasonal forecast for this region calls for average to below average precipitation during the next several months. Holbrook Reservoir is used to store water for irrigation and other needs, and the water user typically stores adequate water throughout the year to provide suitable habitat for stocked trout. This year the irrigator is expected to take as much water as possible for irrigation, and there is a high likelihood that water quality conditions will become lethal. For this reason, ODFW is lifting limits on gamefish to allow for harvest since conditions later in the summer will be unsuitable for fish. In Heart Lake, brown bullhead were illegally introduced and these fish have negatively impacted stocked rainbow trout. The lake is being lowered and will be treated with rotenone in September which is expected to kill all remaining fish in the lake. ODFW is lifting limits on gamefish to allow for harvest prior to the treatment. During and shortly after the treatment, the lake will be unsuitable for stocking, so angling will be closed during that time. While we currently do not plan to stock trout until the spring of 2023, the closure will lift at the end of October, and if fish become available, they could be placed in the lake later this fall.
