Shoreline and fishery improvements scheduled; no fish salvage allowedKINGMAN
— In an effort to improve fishing and eliminate an expanding white
perch population — an aquatic nuisance species (ANS) — Kingman State
Fishing Lake (SFL) is scheduled to be drained and renovated this fall.
Periodic renovations are standard practice in small lakes when fish
populations became unbalanced due to expansion of undesirable fish
species. Kingman SFL has been drained and rehabilitated six times since
1947. Currently, the majority of the fish biomass in the lake is
composed of common carp, gizzard shad, and white perch. The quality and
quantity of sport fish has decreased in the lake, and the fishery is not
currently meeting the needs of anglers. Angler use in 2011 was
approximately one-third of that seen during the last angler survey at
Kingman in 1999.
Biologist believe hot, dry weather has created the best conditions for
renovating this fish population because the drought has dried up many
upstream pools that may have harbored undesirable fish species. After
the lake is drained, the existing water in the lake basin will be
treated with rotenone, a fish toxicant. Because Kingman is an
ANS-designated water due to white perch, fish salvage will not be
allowed, reducing the risk of white perch transfer into non-infested
waters.
Dewatering of the lake will begin in mid-August. During renovation, a
number of lake improvement projects will take place, including fish
habitat placement, boat ramp extension, and chemical treatment of
problematic shoreline vegetation. Upon refilling of the lake, largemouth
bass, northern pike, bluegill, and channel catfish will be restocked.
“Hopefully, fall rains and increased spring flow will fill the lake by
spring of 2013,” says Sean T. Lynott, Kansas Department of Wildlife,
Parks and Tourism’s regional fisheries supervisor for southern Kansas.
“After the renovation, the lake will not be closed to fishing because
some adult fish will be stocked immediately to prey on any undesirable
fish not eliminated by the chemical treatment. Additionally, the
newly-stocked fish should grow quickly without competition from rough
fish, so fishing should quickly improve in the years to come.”
