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7:49 pm
December 31, 2007
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Opossum Lake revival a go
by MATT MILLER, Of Our Cumberland County Bureau Tuesday February 05, 2008, 10:09 AM
DAN GLEITER, The Patriot-News 2006
Plants gain a foothold next to a dead shellfish on cracked ground that was once part of the lake bottom of Opossum Lake in Lower Frankford Twp.An alliance of state and local governments and local citizens has finally amassed the money needed to return Opossum Lake to its former fish-rich glory.
The popular state-owned fishing spot in Lower Frankford Twp., Cumberland County, was drained several years ago due to concerns over its aging earthen dam. Money wasn't immediately available for repairs.
State Sen. Patricia Vance announced this week that $1.5 million will be released from the state's capital budget to finance work on the Opossum Lake dam. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and a citizens group, Friends of Opossum Lake, will provide the rest of the funding for the $3 million project.
Brian Barner of the Fish & Boat Commission said work on the dam could begin as early as this summer. The project is expected to take about 18 months, he said.
Not sure what or if there are plans to drain the remaining 30 acres of water and salvadge the remaining fish.Muskies were last stocked in here in 2005 before the lake was initially lowered to half its normal capacity,about 30 acres.This lake was completely drained in 1985 to make the first dam repairs and there were reportedly 122 muskies found to be in this 59 acre lake!I will personaly call biologist Mr. Dave Miko this week to see what the gameplan is,hopefully they can hold the current lake level and make the neccessary repairs and then refill to normal capacity,This way there won't be a need to totally restart the fishery from scratch.
Steve
Catch and Release works for everyone,keeping a fish works for just one!
1:36 pm
January 12, 2007
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Ill be stopping by there in the near further to take picture of the structure before they fill it back up. Nothing better then photos of everything to compare to your sonar I think it could really help you interpret things. on the screen.
I'm wishin I was fishin
2:34 pm
May 19, 2004
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Thanks for the update. Please post if we are needed to help move these fish.
We may only see what we look for.
11:26 pm
December 31, 2007
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I spoke to Fisheries biologist John Frederick from the Pa. Fish and Boat commission today.He informed me that as of right now the plan is to totally drawdown the lake and salvage whatever fish they can.It would most likely take place in the fall of 2008(this year).Due to the presence of Hydrilla weed in the lake any fish salvaged would be transported to the nearby Conodaquinet creek,about a mile away from the lake.This is to keep from transfering the hydrilla weed to other waterways.Thats about all I know for now.
Catch and Release works for everyone,keeping a fish works for just one!
2:15 pm
May 19, 2004
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Thanks Steve. Please keep us posted so that we can supply manpower when the time comes.
Barry
We may only see what we look for.
2:44 pm
March 22, 2004
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Steve,
Thanks for the heads up. This is the kind of thing that we, in my never so humble opinion, were brought together to do. Show up in force to change, improve and preserve the habitat and the fish themselves. I'd like to be a part of it when it all comes together.
DL
DL
10:30 pm
June 23, 2004
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The Conodaquinet is a great waterway that already harbors a small population of Muskies, so putting the rescued fish into the creek would work well, with overflow fish moving down the creek to the Susky. I'd love to be a part of the fish salvage at Opossum. Thanks for keeping us updated.
Capt. Dieter Scheel http://www.BigDRiverGuide.com
1:17 pm
January 12, 2007
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I believe when they tried this fix the first time in the 80s they put the fish in the Conodaquinet also.I think there were several big skis 50" moved at that time. Ive caught three out of there over the years the biggest a 42" pure but I'm sure there were bigger in there with a study diet of trout.
I'm wishin I was fishin
9:15 pm
December 31, 2007
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I always heard fish stories of the so called 50 inch fish that were in there.The real truth to the 1985 drawdown is this.Larry Jackson who was the fisheries biologist for possum lake in 1985 told me this,During the drawdown in 1985 while the lake was being lowered it got unseasonably warm that fall day and the next morning when he got to the lake all he saw was white bellies floating in the remaining pool of water.The amount of water remaining in the lake could not support the fish due to the water temp rising and depletion of oxygen.Over 90%of the fish were lost.As I was told there were 122 dead muskies and the biggest one was 48 inches and weighed 40 pounds.No 50 inchers as rumored.
Catch and Release works for everyone,keeping a fish works for just one!
6:52 pm
January 12, 2007
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Id take that one any day ;D its a shame to see them die but what are you going to do :'( Thanks for the info Steve you know how rumors are but that's not a bad count for that little lake.
I'm wishin I was fishin
3:09 am
March 19, 2004
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Steve, that is exactly what I was told by one of the local WCOs at that lake two years ago. He was there at the time of the drawdown and what he told me was that they had a backhoe at the lake and they took two buckets full of dead muskies from the lake. That is not a five gallon bucket, it's the bucket on the front of a backhoe!!! Also, that same WCO told me that there were more legal size fish than undersized fish. I don't remember him telling me the size of the biggest fish but I do remember him being very,very impressed with the muskie that were in the lake.
2:38 pm
March 2, 2011
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I also want to thank Steve for the info. It's too bad about the hydrilla problem. I see to the north is Little Buffalo State Park. My literature states there are Musky and Pike in this lake. It would have been nice if they could have been transported up there. Has anyone ever fished Little Buffalo? Let's hope for the best for this fishery to make a full recovery!
<<<<><<< Ed
I need open water!!!
10:45 pm
December 31, 2007
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Ed,
Little buffalo has no pike as your literature states,they stocked pike in this 88 acre lake one time in 1978 and never heard of any one catching any.There were also purebreds stocked in here up till about 1988,tigers were stocked in here on a regurlar basis since then.Yes there are some good sized tigers in here but with the trout forage are quite tough to catch.I was hoping to see the muskies from opossum to be transported to little buffalo lake or Lake Marburg.Marburg has possibly the best chance in southeast Pa to produce 50 inch class fish as it once did in the late 1970's and 1980's.
Catch and Release works for everyone,keeping a fish works for just one!
10:56 am
March 2, 2011
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Thanks for the info. Lake Marburg looks like a decent sized lake! That alone should give it good size potential. How about Lake Redman and Lake Williams south of YorK? I've driven passed them on my run to and from the Annapolis area thinking they look like good fishing lakes. And again, my literature says there are pike and musky in these lakes! Thanks for all your help.
<<<<><<< Ed
I need open water!!!
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