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Active SpawningPriority TributaryWest Shore

Forbes Creek
Lakeport's Hitch Stream

A 4.7-mile stream entering Clear Lake at Lakeport on the west shore. One of the most accessible spawning tributaries, confirmed active in the 2025 WPD survey with 1,567 fish counted lake-wide. Site documented during the March 2026 field visit; 2026 spawn data pending.

Last updated: March 2026 field visit · 2026 spawn season active
Creek ConditionsSurvey History← All Creeks
Forbes Creek on Clear Lake
Forbes CreekWest shore · Lakeport
4.7
Miles · west shore stream
1,567
2025 lake-wide hitch count
2025
Latest confirmed spawning year
Lakeport
Adjacent community
Creek Conditions
Current Season Status
Forbes Creek does not have a dedicated USGS streamflow gauge. Conditions are assessed through CDFW and Lake County WPD visual surveys and the lake-wide spawn phase indicator below.
Spawning Phase
Auto-calculated
Off
season
Post-spawn · next year builds now
Updates on page load
Clear Lake Level
USGS 11450000
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USGS lake level record ↗
Report Stranded Hitch
Rescue Team
(707)
263-2344
If you spot hitch stranded in a dry or disconnected section, call immediately. Permits are required; do not attempt relocation yourself.
Call Rescue Team
Recent Survey Record

Forbes Creek: Recent Seasons

Forbes Creek is an annual survey site in the Lake County WPD monitoring program. Below is the documented sequence of recent seasons, most recent first.

March 2026: Field Visit
Site documentation
Project field visit to document creek mouth, road crossings, and pre-season conditions. 2026 spawn survey data pending. WPD program runs through spring.
2025 Season
Spawning confirmed: 1,567 lake-wide
Forbes confirmed active in the 2025 WPD survey. Lake-wide hitch count of 1,567, among the leading tributary years on record since the 2017 baseline began.
April 18, 2024
Adult hitch confirmed
Lake County WPD documented adult hitch in Forbes Creek. One of 10 tributaries confirmed active in the 2024 program.
May 28, 2024
Flow cutoff (2024)
Forbes Creek flow ceased. About 40 days between adult confirmation and dry-down, a relatively narrow juvenile rearing window in that year.
About This Creek

Hitch in the Heart of Lake County

Forbes Creek is one of the few hitch spawning tributaries that runs directly through an incorporated city. The creek enters Clear Lake at Lakeport, the Lake County seat, making it one of the most publicly accessible spawning streams in the watershed. Forbes was confirmed active in the 2025 Lake County WPD survey, contributing to a lake-wide hitch count of 1,567, among the strongest tributary seasons on record. The 2026 survey window is currently open; this site was field-documented in March 2026.

At 4.7 miles, Forbes is a modest-length stream. Its urban and peri-urban passage means it crosses roads and developed land before reaching the lake, introducing potential barriers and water quality pressures not present in more rural systems. Historic flow cutoff timing (like the May 28, 2024 dry-down) can compress the juvenile rearing window in drought-influenced years.

Forbes is one of the few spawning creeks that runs straight through a city. Each spring the hitch move up it through Lakeport, past parks and road crossings, right to the lake's edge.

✓ 2025 Spawning Confirmed

Forbes confirmed active in the 2025 WPD survey. Lake-wide hitch count: 1,567, among the leading tributary seasons since baseline monitoring began in 2017.

📍 Location

4.7-mile stream entering Clear Lake at Lakeport on the west shore. Passes through and near the Lake County seat before reaching the lake.

⚠ Flow Cutoff Risk

Historic dry-downs (May 28 in 2024) compress the juvenile rearing window. In drought years, early cutoff can strand fish before they reach the lake.

👁 Most Accessible Survey Site

Forbes Creek is one of the easiest hitch spawning tributaries for the public to observe safely, given its location near Lakeport's public areas.

Field Photos

Forbes Creek in the field

The marshy mouth at Clear Lake, and the March 2026 spawning run stacked up below the Highway 29 culvert — a barrier few hitch get past.

Mouth of Forbes Creek — 2023
Creek mouth
Mouth of Forbes Creek2023
Forbes Creek Spawning Run Hitch Piled Up Before… — Upstream · march 3, 2026
Barrier
Forbes Creek Spawning Run Hitch Piled Up Before…Upstream · march 3, 2026
Barriers & Restoration
Challenges & Conservation Status
Key barriers, threats, and active conservation efforts for Forbes Creek.
Concern

Urban and Peri-urban Passage

Forbes Creek crosses developed land and road infrastructure on its way to the lake. Road crossings and stormwater infrastructure may impede migration in some flow conditions.

Concern

Flow Cutoff Risk

Historic dry-down (May 28 in 2024) narrows the juvenile rearing window. In drier years this can shorten further, potentially stranding fish before they emigrate to the lake.

In Progress

Active WPD Monitoring

Forbes Creek is an annual survey site in the Lake County WPD program. The 2025 confirmation (lake-wide count: 1,567) adds to the multi-year record. 2026 survey window is currently active.

Survey Data

Annual Observations: Forbes Creek

YearForbes StatusLake-wide CountNotes
2025Confirmed1,567Forbes confirmed active in the 2025 WPD survey (lake-wide count 1,567)
2024Confirmed1,042Adults confirmed Apr 18; flow cut off May 28
2023Record year2,548 ★Lake-wide record after heavy winter rains
2022Drought306Lake-wide drought year, marginal flow
2021Drought120Catastrophic drought: tributaries ran dry
2020Not the host1,672All 1,672 lake-wide hitch were in Kelsey Creek that year
2019Below average612Kelsey was the primary stream that season
2018Active1,153Adobe led lake-wide; Kelsey major contributor
2017Baseline517First year of USGS baseline gillnet surveys