Hey Guys..got a question..I live on a 300 acre lake in monroe georgia which is located minutes from Lake Varner..My lake they are planning to lower 4 ft to put a gas line across lake..My lake is heavily timbered which of course was flooded...There are stumps stickups and standing timber in the shallow end which is around 3 to 6 ft deep..My community is wanting to clean the stumps and timber out and I am heavily opposed to this..Does anyone think I have legitimate beef or am I just overreacting because I like timber..will it hurt the fishing or is it so heavily timbered the fish dont like it anyway..Anyones comment would be appreciated..

I think your agrument is legit especially if this is a public lake. If it hurts the fishing then you could say its destroying the wildlife and the fishes habitat. But I dont know exactly who you have to argue with in order to win. Anyways, You can probably win this argument if you can get support from other anglers.

This is a sensitive issue with me, and one where I tend to get verbose.

So in the interest of brevity I'll just say one thing in passing:

Some of the best lake management I have ever seen was no management at all.

Roger

I agree that leaving it alone would be best, but maybe you can compromise and cut some to make a clear path across the lake and mark it with flags. :-/

If it's a public lake, you should try to get your state game and fish department involved.  They could probably make some reccomendations that could everyone pointed in the right direction.

It shouldn't hurt to remove some of the wood to provide more open water, leaving large unchanged pockets scattered about. If there are other types of permanent and seasonal cover the fish will have shade and habitat. I've been on some stumpy lakes suited only for a jon boat and even then requiring you to get out in the water to get any boat around. You need nav channels as mentioned, and the more variety of situations the better. Too much wood can become a plague if you get clogged up with hydrilla. Too little wood and not enough vegetation can raise water temps due to too much sunlight penetration. It needs to be balanced for the widest fishing opportunities. If a decision is made to thin the wood there ought to be a solid plan as to how much and where. Disposal of the wood would be a big decision, expensive, labor intensive, and might require a permit(s). Keep in mind once it's gone it can't be replaced.

Jim

I like Will's idea of a "boat lane compromise".  Perhaps a little more research will show that certain people are making the argument?  I'm thinking some folks may have docks that they can't dive off or somthing and maybe those specific spots could be cleared along with a boat lane.

Good luck, let us know how it all pans out.

Trees and stumps provide cover, and they have algae growing on them which attacts plankton, which attracts small minnows which attract.....  bass, etc, of course.  So, if this is a shallow end best to leave it alone.  Small navigation channels, if that is the issue, would be a good compromise.

Cutting it out to make it "look nice" would be strongly unadviseable for fish populations.