In 1994, officials from the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) discovered a predatory invasive fish species, northern pike, in a reservoir in the northern Sierra Nevada. Because this reservoir served as drinking water for the local community, CDFG's proposal of applying chemical pesticides to Lake Davis to eradicate northern pike elicited public outcry. Subsequent acts of community protest surrounding Fish and GameÕs application of the chemicals garnered international media attention.

Fear and Fishing in Lake Davis captures the story of this ongoing environmental conflict on film. Through interviews with local residents, elected officials, and state agency personnel directly involved in the dispute, the film vividly portrays the clash between community and state government over controlling the invasive northern pike.