DEKALB COUNTY-Effective August 4, 2014, DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake near Sylvania, Ala., will close due to the resignation of the lake manager. During the closure, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (WFF) will take the opportunity to renovate the lake. Renovations are expected to be complete by June 2016.
During the renovation process, the lake will be drained, improved, refilled and restocked. Some of the best fishing in ponds and lakes occurs after this process. Other physical improvements will also be made including the deepening of shallow areas around the bank, which will provide anglers with better access to deeper water and better bass fishing. Fish attractors, such as piles of brush and gravel beds may also be added, and any necessary repairs to the existing piers will be made.
For more than 40 years, DeKalb County Lake provided excellent fishing in northeast Alabama. In recent years, however, the lake experienced a decline in fishing quality due to an abundance of small largemouth bass.
While DeKalb Public Fishing Lake is closed, anglers looking for a great place to fish can visit Madison County Public Fishing Lake east of Huntsville, which is about an hour from DeKalb. For more information about DeKalb or Madison County public fishing lakes, please contact the WFF Fisheries office at (334) 242-3471.
DeKalb County Lake is one of 23 lakes managed by WFF. Alabama’s public fishing lakes are managed to provide optimal sport fishing opportunities. The harvest rates from the state’s public fishing lakes exceed those of Alabama’s large public reservoirs when comparing the number of fish caught per hour, the weight of fish caught per hour, or the pounds of fish harvested per acre.
MEDIA RELEASE/ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
