Fish advisories for Topaz Lake, Bridgeport Reservoir in Mono County offer safe eating advice for multiple species

SACRAMENTO – State fish advisories issued Thursday for Bridgeport Reservoir and Topaz Lake in Mono County provides safe eating advice for multiple species of fish. The advisory for Bridgeport Reservoir provides safe eating advice for Brown Trout, Golden Shiner, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, and Sacramento Perch. The advisory for Topaz Lake provides safe eating advice for black bass species, Mountain Sucker, Rainbow Trout, and Sacramento Sucker.

Bridgeport Reservoir is located approximately 60 miles southeast of South Lake Tahoe. Topaz Lake is located approximately 40 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe. The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment used data from sampling funded by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board to develop the recommendations based on the levels of mercury found in fish caught from these water bodies.

“Many fish have nutrients that may reduce the risk of heart disease and are excellent sources of protein,” said Dr. Lauren Zeise, director of OEHHA. “By following our guidelines, people can safely eat fish low in chemical contaminants and enjoy the well-known health benefits of fish consumption.”

Bridgeport Reservoir
When consuming fish from Bridgeport Reservoir, women ages 18-49 and children ages 1-17 may safely eat a maximum of seven total servings per week of Rainbow Trout, or two total servings per week of Brown Trout, or one total serving per week of Golden Shiner, Mountain Whitefish, or Sacramento Perch.

Women ages 50 and older and men ages 18 and older may safely eat a maximum of seven total servings per week of Rainbow Trout, or five total servings per week of Brown Trout, or three total servings per week of Sacramento Perch, or two total servings per week of Golden Shiner or Mountain Whitefish.

Topaz Lake
Women ages 18-49 and children ages 1-17 should not eat black bass species caught from Topaz Lake. They may safely eat a maximum of one total serving per week of Mountain Sucker, Rainbow Trout or Sacramento Sucker.
Women ages 50 and older and men ages 18 and older may safely eat a maximum of four total servings per week of Mountain Sucker, or three total servings per week of Rainbow Trout or Sacramento Sucker, or one total serving per week of black bass species.

Additional Fish Consumption Information
One serving is an eight-ounce fish fillet, measured prior to cooking, which is roughly the size and thickness of your hand. Children should be given smaller servings. For small fish species, several individual fish may make up a single serving.

A poster with the safe-eating advice for Bridgeport Reservoir and Topaz Lake is available on OEHHA’s website in both English and Spanish. For fish species found in Bridgeport Reservoir and Topaz Lake that are not included in this advisory, OEHHA recommends following the statewide advisory for eating fish from California lakes and reservoirs without site-specific advice.

Mercury is a naturally occurring metal that is released into the environment from mining and burning coal. It accumulates in fish in the form of methylmercury, which can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in developing children and fetuses. Because of this, OEHHA provides a separate set of recommendations specifically for children up to age 17, and women of childbearing age (18-49 years).

Eating fish in amounts slightly greater than the advisory’s recommendations based on mercury is not likely to cause health problems if it is done occasionally, such as eating fish caught during an annual vacation.

The advisories join more than 100 other OEHHA advisories that provide site-specific, health-based fish consumption advice for many of the places where people catch and eat fish in California, including lakes, rivers, bays, reservoirs, and the California coast. Advisories are available on OEHHA’s Fish Advisories webpage.

OEHHA’s mission is to protect and enhance the health of Californians and our state’s environment through scientific evaluations that inform, support, and guide regulatory and other actions.