4,000 pounds of trout released at Lake Cachuma

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. -- More than 4,000 pounds of Rainbow Trout was released into Cachuma Lake on Thursday.

The release is the first of four scheduled releases.

The fish range in size from half-pound "catchables" to eight-pound trophies.

The trout comes from Mt. Lassen Trout Farms, Inc. in Paynes Creek in California.

The next three releases are planned for December, January and April.

Tour fishing conditions are ideal in the cooler fall season. During the fall, California Fish and Wildlife says warm surface water begins to cool and becomes denser causing it to sink. Dense water moving down forces water from the bottom, called hypolimnion, to rise. This temperature-driven process known as “lake turnover” allows aquatic life to inhabit the entirety of the lake as oxygen becomes more available.

Rainbow Trout are cold-water fish and during the late fall and winter they move from deep water to the shallows, most actively feeding in cooler temperatures.

CA Fish and Wildlife says cooler weather is a great time for fishing and enjoying the outdoors. It's the prime time of the year to see bald eagles and osprey migrating through the area.

For updates on Cachuma Lake Fishing reports, click here.