Finally getting my rock!

Hey all,

Well today was the start of a much anticipated (by me anyways) renovation at Pollmiller. They started hauling in big chunk rock and an excavator is there starting to dig back the banks and some of the silt from around the edges of the lake. Looking forward to having a lot of rock added around the lake and also curious to see where they lay in the fishing jetties at.

Here's a couple phone pics I snapped off at lunch time.

Did they lower the lake at all to do that? A lot of times that is a winter project. Should help the fishing no mwtter when they do it.

Nope, no lowering of the lake. Not sure if they really have a way to lower it. I suppose they do. The way I understand it they are basically just going in around the edges as far as the boom on the trackhoe can go. Which is plenty far to rake back all of the silt around the edges cause the lake has fairly steep banks so if you go out too far it gets deep anyways. I will be interested to see how the fishing jettie construction goes but I am guessing they will just keep dumping stuff on top of other stuff till it comes to the surface. I don't really know how that works when the lake isn't empty.

I'm sure I'll keep you all informed on it.

That is pretty much how they built the ones on Macbride. They start filling the lake in with big rock and gravel at the bank and keep moving out 'til they are done. As they move out the trucks flatten the jetty like a road. You get the idea.

Sweet, be interesting to see what all they do with it. Better go buy some extra jigs!

Now we just got to pray they don't find shad in it!

I was thinking today how a fresh start for a lake like P might not be all bad.

I'd like to see them get some aquatic vegetation going myself.

Get some grasses growing in these lakes.

Very cool Randy, I bet they load up that main point, sure looks like it is eroding the most of anywhere. I would assume the fish will associate to the new rock pretty quick. Always seems to me that when a new tree falls in the water the fish aren't usually in it until the second year when all the "green" has died away.

Cowboy wrote:

Very cool Randy, I bet they load up that main point, sure looks like it is eroding the most of anywhere. I would assume the fish will associate to the new rock pretty quick. Always seems to me that when a new tree falls in the water the fish aren't usually in it until the second year when all the "green" has died away.

Yeah. Your right about that point. It has taken a beating over the years and is half its original size. I think if they didn't do something they would loose that point eventually. It has made that point pretty shallow a lot farther out into the lake than it used to be. I'd like to see them put rock a good 100yds out into the lake off that point but I don't think they are going to do it just for me.


I have seen the lake over the years really creep back all the way around the banks. There are places where I was a kid that I walked trails to get to a fishing spot that are now in the water. I have also seen the lake go from a max depth that I can remember seeing on sonar of around 33' and I have been all over that place and know right where the deepest water is but I can only find around 27 to 28' now. So that gives you an idea over the last 15 years how much silt has entered the lake even though it is well protected and has a very small water shed.


Something needed to be done before a lot more damage was done. Just good to see them doing it.

Little rock starting to go in.

Lookin good!

Very cool, that is going to be awesome! Glad to see they are doing it right!

Well I just got done talking to Ranger Clint for a while this morning. We talked about the trout stockings and he said some of those fish will be as big as 4#'s. That's some big trout if you ask me.

We then got to talking about fishing Pollmiller. I started talking about it not being quite cold enough yet and the guy he was with looked at me a little funny. He said you may not be able to fish it much colder case I am not sure how the boat ramp is going to work. Then they mention that they are in the process of starting to drop the lake. I thought it looked a little lower than normal on Monday but I didn't think to much of it. Guess they are going to drop the lake around 4' lower than it is now before they start the work around the dam area and fishing jettie.


So ice fishing could be real fun out there this winter if the lake is shrunk down that much more. Fish are gonna be running out of places to hide. :ice:

Oh ya! That could make for some great ice fishin!

Well it will be easier for everyone else too, as from the sounds of it, lake p gets more pressure on hard water than soft.

Oh and 4 lb trout !!! :shock:

Chopper wrote:

Well it will be easier for everyone else too, as from the sounds of it, lake p gets more pressure on hard water than soft.

Oh and 4 lb trout !!! :shock:

I would agree. On both accounts.

Better watch them bucket fillers.

rellison8 wrote:

Chopper wrote:

Well it will be easier for everyone else too, as from the sounds of it, lake p gets more pressure on hard water than soft.

Oh and 4 lb trout !!! :shock:

I would agree. On both accounts.

Better watch them bucket fillers.

Better get a bigger auger!

Here are some pictures that I went and took around Pollmiller today. Its getting as low as I have ever seen it in my life.

Its kinda crazy to see the lake like that. Its not nearly as silted in as maybe I thought it was. There are a few areas but for the most part the banks still have a nice fall to them and a lot of good wood. Even some big wood I didn't know about.

Great pics, Randy. The ramp looks a little iffy for use. Is there much drop after the cement and does the rock go in far enough to launch?

I agree Dave. Prolly why that one conservation guy was wondering how usable it would be.

I think you could maybe still launch a boat. It would be a mess though and I think I would want 4 x 4 just in case. I don't know how much farther down they are going. Still sounded like a lot of water was being pumped over the spillway so they aren't don't yet.


I am affraid my favorite brush pile from last winter is going to start poking out of the water here soon. Then everyone will know why I was fishing there.

Cool pics Randy. Wonder if they are gonna ad some rock along the dam, looks like it is getting a little thin, especially compared to all that new rock.

Cowboy wrote:

Cool pics Randy. Wonder if they are gonna ad some rock along the dam, looks like it is getting a little thin, especially compared to all that new rock.

From what I understand yes. Also from where I was standing and took the dam picture there is going to be a rock jettie that on the end is t shaped the way I understand it and will extend quite a long ways out into the lake. Then on the to of the jetties flat part of the T there will be the big fishing dock that was attached to the bank before. Should be pretty interesting to see and fish.

neat pics. sucks about your secret brush pile!!