The State - News from Nov. 3, 1988

State Department of Fish and Game crews sprayed the chemical suffocant rotenone across Lake Success near Porterville to kill an estimated 100 tons of “trash” fish. “It’ll take another week to 10 days to collect the dead fish as they surface,” said John Pike, manager of Success Lake Park. Rotenone suffocates fish by blocking their ability to assimilate oxygen from the water. Department officials decided to treat the lake because of complaints that carp and other non-game fish had become so numerous that fishing for trout was nearly impossible. Once the dead fish are disposed of and the rotenone dissipates, the lake will be restocked. Earlier, fish and game agents and volunteers salvaged more than 10,000 game fish from the lake by using electroshock equipment and nets.