Irvine Lake has trout for first time in three years

Irvine Lake is a place for anglers, young and old. It's where the sport of fishing in Southern California is made up of a family of friends.

Three years ago, the lake had to be shut down over land and water disputes. It finally reopened to shoreline fishing this summer after Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner led negotiations between a couple of water districts, the Irvine Company and the county.

People were happy, but they soon started to ask: Where's the trout?

"The water was too warm for trout then, but it's not today," said Wagner. "As of today, we have trout in that water. Come out over the weekend, fish for trout, create new memories."

This week, 4,000 pounds of trout were added to the lake, officially kicking off trout-catching season.

"And they're available for you to come fish, take home, they're good eating and you can also build some memories with friends and family," Wagner said.

Local anglers have been gearing up at places like The Longfin Fishing Tackle, just 15 minutes down the road.

"We've had a bunch of guys come in this week, they're all super excited, 'yea they stocked Irvine Lake with 4,000 pounds of trout' and they're stocking up on trout stuff and there's been a lot of good buzz with people coming in the shop," said Matthew Vander Dussen, an employee at The Longfin.

Gates to the lake open at 7am Fridays through Sundays. Parking opens at 6am with a $5 fee.