Irvine Lake To Host September 12 Catfish Derby Before Lake Will Take Draining Hiatus

Popular Orange County fishery Irvine Lake, which re-opened for fishing in 2019 after a controversial 2016 closure, is set to host a September 12 catfish derby, which district Supervisor Don Wagner (R) says will soon be followed by the lake temporarily closing for a drainage project.

Wagner announced the derby and upcoming project on the following Facebook post:

In two weeks, my office will be hosting our last fishing derby at Irvine Lake for the foreseeable future, as the Irvine Ranch Water District will be draining the lake for renovations in October. 

This time around it will be a catfish derby!

Participation is free, and we’ll have prizes, food trucks, blind bogey drawings and more!

Last year was a huge success, with hundreds of participants and lots of fish caught. 

I hope you all can join us for one last fun filled fishing derby! 

Wagner, whose district represents Orange County, was instrumental in the lake’s 2019 reopening.