County lakes stocked with 750 pounds of catfish

 Fishing enthusiasts with a taste for catfish can now find plenty of them at San Bernardino County's fish fishing lakes.

Cucamonga Guasti in Ontario, Glen Helen in Devore, Yucaipa Regional, Prado Regional in Chino and Mojave Narrows Regional have stocked a collective 750 pounds of catfish, now ready for plucking.

Lakes will be restocked every Thursday until the second week of September. The season runs Saturday through Sept. 10.

More than 23,000 people fished the lakes last year. The best strategy for catching catfish, besides choosing the right bait, is casting the line in water between two to five feet deep along the long, slow-tapering points of the lakes. Any wind stirring up the plankton that attracts baitfish and heightens the odor of the bait will draw the fish to the hook, according to a news release by the San Bernardino County Regional Parks department.

Hours of operation vary from park to park, and some may close on Thursdays during restocking.

For more information, call the following numbers:

Cucamonga Guati in Ontario: (909) 481-4205

Prado Regional Park in Chino: (909) 597-4260

Glen Helen Regional Park in Devore: (909) 887-7540

Yucaipa Regional Park: (909) 790-3127

Mojave Narrows: (760) 245-2226

Vehicle entry fee at each park is $7 on weekdays and $10 on weekends and holidays. There is an additional $7 fishing fee, and a state fishing license is required and may be purchased at each park.

joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com