Cedar Creek to be lowered

[Tim_T]

from KDFWR news release:

Frankfort, Ky. – Cedar Creek Lake in Lincoln County will be drawn down 5 feet in an effort to improve fishing and control aquatic vegetation. The drawdown begins Monday, September 8.

“We did the same drawdown last fall,” said Jeff Ross, assistant director of fisheries for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “We are starting to see improvements in the condition of the bass. We are mainly concerned with intermediate sized largemouth bass. We also saw a delay in the growth of weeds in the spring and early summer. Both of these are positive signs and we hope a multi-year drawdown schedule will improve conditions even more.”

One of the goals of the drawdown is to improve bluegill and medium-sized bass populations in Cedar Creek Lake by increasing predation on the bluegill by the bass. Anglers reported good fishing this past spring and summer for 18-inch and larger fish and fisheries biologists want that trend to continue.

“The small sunfish hide in the rooted aquatic vegetation along the shore and the bass can’t get at them. The drawdown puts the bass and the small bluegill in close association with one another,” said Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “This improves the condition of the medium-sized bass.”

The lower water also helps control shoreline vegetation that is extremely thick in some sections of the lake.

“The aquatic weeds make bank fishing difficult,” said John Williams, southeastern fishery district biologist for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. Once these plants die, the nutrients tied up in them will be released back into the water when lake levels return to normal next March.

“We plan to monitor the condition of the bass in Cedar Creek this fall and track weed growth in 2009 to see how things are progressing,” Ross said.

The drawdown will not impact boat ramps on the lake, but there may be a rotten egg smell at the dam from the release of hydrogen sulfide off the lake bottom.

“Last fall, other than a slight sulfur smell from the hydrogen sulfide,” Ross said, “there were no adverse affects to Cedar Creek below the dam.”

[DYNATRAK]

I Love The Drawdown!!!!

[PROANGLER746]

I Love The Drawdown!!!!

Was the draw down beneficial to the fishing in the fall???

[rustedhook]

Was the draw down beneficial to the fishing in the fall???

I don't know what it did for the bluegill and crappie or the grass but it concentrated the bass in key areas.

rustedhook

[MSD]

How are the ramps after the lake is lowered? Looks like the courtesy docks would be hard to use.

[biggw]

Ramps will be ok-but the docks will be out of the water--Now if there was a ramp fee they would have to fix that problem- So i'll go with the no ramp fee lol

[dsonthelake84]

I was wanting to fish cedar tuesday. Will this hurt the fishing for that day? Should I wait a couple of days before going or what? Didnt know if lowering the water that fast would give them lock jaw or not.

[Wormin]

If I remember right( have CRS) it took about 2 weeks to get it were they wanted it last year. Water had a little more color to it but the fishing for me stayed about the same. But I fish deep water most of the time this time of the year. Shallow water bite may be tougher.

[rustedhook]

I was wanting to fish cedar tuesday. Will this hurt the fishing for that day? Should I wait a couple of days before going or what? Didnt know if lowering the water that fast would give them lock jaw or not.

I was there yesterday and saw them open the gates. They said it would be dropping 5 to 6 inches a day. I would still go and fish deep with 10 inch worms, jigs and deep running crankbaits.

rustedhook

[MSD]

Just got an email from Southeastern District Fishery Biologist John Williams and he stated that KDFW will move the courtesy docks so that "they will be usable at the drawdown level". This will be very helpful to those of us that fish alone and I hope the KDFW follows through with moving the docks. Now if they would add a few more street lights at the ramps and parking lots...but I guess one thing at a time. I am just very thankful that we have nice lake to use and enjoy, but the extra light would be nice on those early mornings or late nights.