Nebraskaland Magazine
I have a couple, three small news items to include in my blog today. No, none of these are major, but if they are one of your favorite fishing spots you will want to know about them. So, in no particular order:
Killdeer Lake dam maintenance project to begin
Killdeer Lake, located 2½ miles north of Martell in Lancaster County, will be undergoing a dam maintenance project beginning the week of May 8.
The project, which will require the lake to be dewatered, will repair the outlet structure. The project should take about a month, weather pending.
While access in some areas may be blocked intermittently as equipment is moved, public access to the area, including the shooting range, will remain open throughout the project.
In anticipation of the project, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission conducted multiple fish salvage efforts to remove adult bluegill, largemouth bass, black crappie and channel catfish from the lake and relocated them to Wagon Train Lake, east of Hickman.
Future stockings of game fish will occur when the project is complete and the reservoir has refilled with adequate water levels.
Willow Lake
Just a few weeks ago I noted some boat ramp work being done at Willow Lake, Willow Lake Boat Ramp Work.
I mentioned then that project was not supposed to take very long, and it did not! Here is what it looks like:
Oh yes, a new outhouse too!
Sandy Channel SRA Lake No. 2 treated to remove unwanted fish
Lake No. 2 at Sandy Channel State Recreation Area near Elm Creek was chemically treated with rotenone on May 2 to remove all fish as part of a lake renovation project.
A dike disconnecting the lake from the nearby Platte River broke during the historic 2019 flood, allowing unwanted species such as common carp and gizzard shad to enter the lake. The dike was repaired last month, but since the flood, bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass numbers have been in steady decline.
Fisheries managers plan to restock the lake with yellow perch, smallmouth bass and rock bass this fall.
The project is funded in part by anglers’ fishing permits and accompanying Aquatic Habitat Stamps.
For questions about fisheries management at these areas, contact the Kearney Service Center of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at 308-865-5310.
