Relaxed Fishing Regulations at Lake Darling

Subject: Relaxed Fishing Regulations at Lake Darling Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:23 pm

From the IDNR Website
Posted: September 9, 2008

BRIGHTON - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will relax the fishing regulations at Lake Darling on September 12, to allow anglers to more freely harvest fish before the lake is completely drained to repair a spillway leak, extend the dam, and to perform a lake restoration project. The lake water level is currently in slow decline due to the loss of water through the spillway.

The valve gate, however, will be completely opened in late fall or early winter to facilitate dewatering activities that will result in a full pool draw-down.

"We decided to empty the lake because the integrity of the dam has been compromised by a nearly four-million gallons per day spillway leak, as well as the impending need for a large-scale lake restoration," said Chad Dolan, area fisheries biologist for the DNR.

Dolan said the water quality of Lake Darling has degraded over time due to sediment and nutrient inputs from the large watershed. The lake also has a substantial population of common carp that has contributed to sediment resuspension and further reductions in water clarity. Efforts will be made to collect and relocate the lake's quality game fish to park ponds or to other state-managed waters. Planned lake and watershed restoration activities will ultimately benefit water quality, and subsequently, achieve a more desirable fish community in the future.

On September 12, anglers with a valid fishing license may harvest all sizes and unlimited quantities of any fish species from Lake Darling. Any number of fishing poles or jugs will be allowed, but anglers must remain in sight of these lines at all times and follow all other fishing regulations and area rules. Trot lines will be allowed (name and address must be attached); however, lines may not be set across the entire water body. Nets, dynamite, poison, electric shocking devices, or any stupefying substances will not be allowed. It is illegal to sell fish or stock captured fish into public waters, but sportfish can be stocked in private lakes and ponds. It is important that anglers never transport and release common carp, or for that matter, any other nuisance fish species into any aquatic system.

The normal park hours of 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. will remain in effect. Anglers may fish anywhere within the lake as water levels should permit fishing from the bank and boats for the foreseeable future; however, access ramps will be exposed a few weeks after commencement of draw-down activities preventing further boat-fishing. Liberalized fishing regulations for Lake Darling will remain in effect until the lake is drained.

Sediment control structures such as ponds, terraces, and risers are already constructed in the watershed, and more are planned for the future. The fishery renovation is also part of the process to improve the lake's water quality. The lake restoration project includes stabilizing shoreline erosion problems, removing sediment, increasing the pool elevation of the lake, constructing in-lake fish habitat, constructing and repairing jetties, deepening shoreline and repairing the dam.

The lake will remain dewatered throughout the construction period which is expected to last through 2009, or potentially longer, depending on the weather impacts on construction activities. During this juncture, all watershed and in-lake construction projects will be completed. Fish will be restocked once construction has ceased and the lake's water elevation returns to normal. Users should expect limited access to the lake until normal lake water elevation returns in 2010.

Very interesting, I noticed I have an assignment on my desk for the new lake drawdown structure and auxiliary spillway design, maybe while I'm designing it I can get GPS coords for any new structure the DNR installs. Let the bidding begin!! :woo_hoo:

Well hopefully this will be a much nicer place to fish in the future. I know Brian says they are in there and I haven't fished it, but I've heard the place used to be a great spot.

Two of the interesting facts I saw in the article were that the Spillway was leaking 4 Million Gallons per day! :shock: Wow, thats a bunch of water!

And ""Efforts will be made to collect and relocate the lake's quality game fish to park ponds or to other state-managed waters.""

I thought that was cool, I didn't know this was normal practice, but it sounds like a good idea to me. :idea:

Any of you guys that live near the Lake be sure to let us know when it's drained or how the fishing is during this time. I'd like to check it out when it's empty.

hope it turns out better after the repairs. keep us posted on the progress

I may be headed up that way now, even as soon as this weekend. Every fish I catch will be going in the live well for transport to farm pond.

I fished there about 3 weeks ago. Only caught 5 bass in about 3 hours. Had 4 dinks and one 15". The thing that impressed me the most was the water clarity. That lake has alway had very muddy water. There were times that you literally lost sight of your bait within 2" of the surface. But when I was there awhile back, there was a good foot of visibility at the ramp, and up by the dam there was probably 18" of visibility. Now that don't sound all that great to you guys that get to fish clear water all the time, but for this lake it was outstanding. I am really looking forward to getting this lake redone. It sounds like the DNR is really doing their homework on this one.

Plus, I only live 6 miles from it :D !

Chopper wrote:: Well hopefully this will be a much nicer place to fish in the future. I know Brian says they are in there and I haven't fished it, but I've heard the place used to be a great spot.
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If I can get my scanner to work, I will post some pictures of the fish we were catching up there.

I got sent this by Poncho yesterday, believe it is a repeat post on the fishing report...rando knows that happens..anyhow last I heard they WERE NOT going to draw down the lake, and the fishing regs were not going to change. They decided to go a different route, and use a cougher dam thing so they didn't have to drain the lake. You may want to check with local dnr before doig anything out of the regular law!

It is posted on the DNR site. As of right now we, as a company, are recommending to the DNR that they build a new dam, but nothing says they will listen to us. What they do may be up in the air, but if they post relaxed regulations on their site, they can go ahead and try to give me a ticket.

hoserhawk wrote:: It is posted on the DNR site. As of right now we, as a company, are recommending to the DNR that they build a new dam, but nothing says they will listen to us. What they do may be up in the air, but if they post relaxed regulations on their site, they can go ahead and try to give me a ticket.

10-4 on that Mark! I agree 100%.

Why the hell would they not drain that lake??? That doesn't fix the fact that it is plumb full of silt at this point even if they do fix the dam. I would think they have a plan to make the lake deeper don't they???

I haven't been there in a few years but if I remember right it has almost no deep water. That can't be good for the future of the lake either. Am I wrong?

quackjr wrote:: ...rando knows that happens..

Huh? I guess I don't understand.

I'm with everyone else, if it's posted on the IDNR website than thats the new rules.

I just looked and it's still posted on the DNR site.

Here we go again!!! How many Lakes is that now for this year that have had problems??
"four-million gallons per day spillway leak." that sounds like a little more than a leak!! :shock:

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