BY MIKE STEVENS
SAN LUIS OBISPO – By Sunday night, the Gifford Fire in San Luis Obispo County was approaching 120,000 acres resulting in mandatory evacuation or evac warning status at multiple Central Coast Lakes.
Lopez Lake was put under a mandatory evacuation order, and county officials announced all visitors must evacuate the campground when the fire was approaching 100,000 acres and just 15 percent containment. All reservations from August 7 through 21 were cancelled, and public access to Lopez Lake was closed until further notice. By Sunday night, the acreage of the fire exceeded 118,000 acres and reached 33 percent containment.
Santa Margarita Lake reached evacuation warning status on Sunday when the county opted to also cancel all reservations through August 21 and restricting portions of the lake. At press time, visitors could still access the area for day use, and current campers were allowed to stay but all boating and rentals were suspended indefinitely.
Before the fire, both lakes were fishing well. Santa Margarita Lake has been very clear, and finesse fishing was great in 18 to 24 feet of water according to local guide, Douglas Rice who said anglers working shallow could get some chatterbait bass before the sun got too high. Flipping and frogging the thick weed mats were also doing well. Needless to say, Central Coast bass anglers are looking forward to getting back on their lakes when the fire is in the rear-view.
