My home Lake started alum treatment for algae since Feb 12 (3 days period). I went out today the water is a lot clearer than before 4-5 feet visibility. First time in months I saw a few good size bass cruising along the shallow. 

i wonder what they plan on doing with the alum sludge that settles to the bottom of the lake?

Why would Canyon lake treat algae bloom before it occurs? Alum is aluminum sulfate vs Blue Stone copper sulfate and normally used for drinking water reserviors not water storage reserviors like Canyon lake. Treating a lake during the spawn cycle isn't the best plan, but consistant with California's ignorance in fishery management.

Tom

May be it was not algae but for water clarity then. It was the 8th treatment of what I don't know? And we do get a lot of rain runoff last time. This's gonna be suck but I'm gonna start fishing it harder. The bass I saw today might as well in 4-5 lbs class and I didn't have any lure with me but a few Zman TRD.

Tom is correct. alum is added to “raw water” at the first stage of drinking water treatment to remove turbidity, which also carries things like harmful bacteria and other organisms. the byproduct of alum treatment is alum sludge. ever had to floc out your cloudy swimming pool? then vacuum the stuff off the bottom via the drain cycle? you’re actually removing the alum sludge. the same thing occurs at a much larger scale at your local drinking water treatment facility and over time the alum sludge has to be physically removed because it builds up the same way snow accumulates on the ground. this phase is commonly  conducted at the teatment facility, not in the lake. the floc (precipitate) also attaches itself to everything in the process, even fish and other aquatic life. i may be speaking without full knowledge of what is actually being done there but it seems kinda odd. but who knows, i have been retired now for over 7 years. please keep us informed James.

Went out on a boat today, water clarity is improved up to 8 feet visibility in some area. There were more bass in shallow than yesterday even see a few bass on bed already, but should still be in early stage since I saw both small male and possibilities 5 lbs female. Anyhow talked to one bank beater, he also saw 4-5 bass swimming around but no bite. I caught only one small on jerkbait.

Canyon lake is private and surrounded by residual property with lawns and landscape that leach phosphate nutrients via fertilizers/plant food into the lakes water. The nutrients create the algae growth and reduce water clarity, it's the residents that are responsible for the water treatments. Without rain to flush out the lakes water, more treatments to control algae and odors occur and becomes a down hill spiral for the bass population. The nureints are good for the eccosystem the treatments are not.

it's been warm for 2 months and the spawn is starting in SoCal lakes.

Tom

3 minutes ago, WRB said:

Canyon lake is private and surrounded by residual property with lawns and landscape that leach phosphate nutrients via fertilizers/plant food into the lakes water. The nutrients create the algae growth and reduce water clarity, it's the residents that are responsible for the water treatments. Without rain to flush out the lakes water, more treatments to control algae and odors occur and becomes a down hill spiral for the bass population. The nureints are good for the eccosystem the treatments are not.

it's been warm for 2 months and the spawn is starting in SoCal lakes.

Tom

You are so right about that Tom, we are responsible for this, all the water runoff from street will get down to the lake. I guess the management team care more about clarity of the lake for those water skiers and boat pleasures more than bass anglers. We are minority here I think less than 20% compare to those other boaters.

Where the damage begins is with the small forage fish and young of the year. That vegetation that will be killed would have been a place for the young bass and the smaller forage fish to hide and grow up. You can expect you will have some better size fish for a little while but in the end with a limited forage base you will end up with stunted predator fish. It is a shame state after state makes these same idiotic mistakes.  Northern Virginia anglers battle Yuppie land owners that buy property around county recreational lakes and reservoirs all the time.  The Yuppies buy their place nearby these waters that were built with county taxes and then want domain over them to the exclusion of those county residents whose taxes built them. So usually the anglers get into community battles.