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Goose Lake Renovation

The timing is right, this is happening now:

Goose Lake Wildlife Management Area temporarily closure; lake to be chemically renovated May 3

Goose Lake in Holt County is scheduled to be chemically renovated, weather depending, May 3 to remove the existing fish population. It will be closed to the public that day.

The rotenone treatment is aimed to eliminate common carp, an undesirable species detrimental to aquatic habitat and water quality. Because rotenone is a restricted-use pesticide, the area will be closed during the chemical application May 3 and no fish may be picked up for human consumption.

“Goose Lake is in major need of a renovation, and we have a great opportunity to get that done right now,” said Jeff Schuckman, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Northeast District fisheries manager. “The water is extremely turbid, the sportfish population has severely declined, the current drought has dropped the water elevation to the edge of the cattails and the current maximum depth is only about 4 feet.”

Restocking the lake will be the next step in restoration and will occur over the next two years. Species to be restocked include largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and northern pike.

Expected benefits include restoring a sustainable aquatic ecosystem and sportfish community for improved angling opportunities, and an increase in waterfowl and migratory bird use due to improved water quality and habitat conditions.

It will be back, and better than ever!

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Goose Lake largemouth bass from a few years ago.

About daryl bauer

Daryl is a lifelong resident of Nebraska (except for a couple of years spent going to graduate school in South Dakota). He has been employed as a fisheries biologist for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for 25 years, and his current tour of duty is as the fisheries outreach program manager. Daryl loves to share his educational knowledge and is an avid multi-species angler. He holds more than 120 Nebraska Master Angler Awards for 14 different species and holds more than 30 In-Fisherman Master Angler Awards for eight different species. He loves to talk fishing and answer questions about fishing in Nebraska, be sure to check out his blog at outdoornebraska.org.

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