Where to Find Clean Sport Fish in California

The State Water Resources Control Board has released a new big report showing results of tests on wild fish all over California. For the first time, the nonprofit science center, the San Francisco Estuary Institute in Oakland, has prepared the fish report for the board by researching past contamination studies from lakes and bays over the past 25 years. Anglers can find maps and historical narratives in the 150-page report that can help them figure out the degree of contamination in their favorite fishing spots. Mercury, PCBs and pesticides, all harmful pollutants at certain levels, are the big culprits.

"The concentrations of mercury have not declined noticeably over the past 30 years, and mercury continues to be a problem in many water bodies across the state." —Jay Davis, SFEI