34th Annual Fishing Derby Promises Excitement, Fun

Five hundred trout will be tagged with prize money — ranging from $20 to a staggering $10,000 — at the 34th Annual Isabella Lake Fishing Derby. Some 1,400 to 2,000 anglers are expected to participate this April, bringing their families from across California, as well as other states, for a fun weekend of competitive fishing.

“We want everybody to have a good time; it’s a big event, a family event,” said Fred Clark, event coordinator. “They’re catching fish with the family, not just dad, but the whole family.”

Lake Isabella is home to a variety of fish, but these prize trout were bred or purchased for the derby; anglers are free to keep whatever they catch from the public lake, even without a prize. Two of the fish will be tagged with $10,000 grand prizes, another two with $5,000 tags, and one will have a $10,000 gift card for Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop, one of the event’s larger sponsors, in Bakersfield. The rest of the trout will have prizes ranging from $20 to $500.

There are additional prizes to be had from Blind Bogey drawing — the grand prize being a kayak fully rigged with electronics, as well as a Weatherby rifle and other prizes from Cope’s. The Bobber Bowl allows competitors who catch a $100-tagged trout to potentially double their money. In all there will be roughly $65,000 to $75,000 dollars in prizes to be won across three days of fishing.

The Isabella Lake Fishing Derby has been a Lake Isabella staple for 34 years, only missing 2020 because of a state-mandated shutdown during COVID. The return in 2021 was deliberately designed to be an epic event, and the organizers have kept the pace ever since. Not even regular spring wind and rain shuts down the derby; this April is expected to be milder than March. The event is always scheduled for the weekend before Easter Sunday and thus the date moves every year.

The Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for its 34th Annual Isabella Lake Fishing Derby. The derby kicks off on April 12th, and continues through April 14th. COURTESY PHOTO

Tickets go on sale on Jan. 1st. Registration starts on April 11 at 7 a.m., when participants will get their cards and official hats and shirts. The entry fee is $50 for adults and $15 for youths 15 and younger; it’s also good for all three days of the event! The Derby will go from 7 a.m. on Saturday the 12th to 5 p.m. on Monday the 14th.

The Isabella Lake Fishing Derby is organized by the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by many regional and local businesses, including the Kern Valley Sun, Grocery Outlet, AltaOne Federal Credit Union. Berkley Fishing, Budweiser, and Congressman Vince Fong are among other sponsors of the derby. With their support the derby promotes tourism and brings people to the Kern River Valley, where they can experience other exciting activities in the area like camping, hiking, boating, and water sports.

“Just looking forward to seeing everyone at Derby HQ,” Clark said.

For more information; go to kernrivervalley.com, check out the Isabella Lake Fishing Derby on Facebook, or contact the Chamber of Commerce at 760-379-5236.