By DAVE SPALSBURY
KDWP
ELLIS - Sheridan State Fishing Lake, a 42-acre public fishing impoundment located approximately 11 miles east of Hoxie, KS on U.S. HWY 24, is owned and managed by Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The lake has provided quality fishing opportunities over the years. But, degradation of fish habitat and undesirable ecological interactions within and among fish species has resulted in an unbalanced fish community that currently offers limited quality angling opportunities.
Lake renovation is a conventional fisheries management action affording the opportunity for large-scale fish habitat enhancement and profound fish community restructuring. KDWP has begun the process of renovating the and specific actions planned are; fish community eradication and reestablishment, lake basin sediment removal and reshaping, fish habitat installation and enhancement, and shoreline erosion protection.
To facilitate renovation, the lake will be de-watered during July 2023 and kept dry into 2024. Coincident with dewatering, the lake will be opened to public fish salvage. The salvage will liberalize methods of take and remove fish harvest regulations enabling anglers maximum utilization of the existing fish population prior to eradication. The department will also salvage desirable sportfish from Sheridan State Fishing Lake and translocate them to other waters in western Kansas.
Once the lake is sufficiently dry to allow operation of excavation equipment, sediment removal and basin reshaping will occur. Sediment removal will increase lake volume and depth which will reduce the probability of excessive aquatic vegetation growth, increase water clarity, remove excess nutrients, and increase physical space for fish habitation. Lake basin reshaping will increase fish habitat availability by increasing diversity of bottom topography.
Upon completion of sediment removal and basin reshaping, rock piles and reefs accented with whole trees will be installed in strategic areas to increase fish habitat availability and diversity. Some sediment will be used to construct additional fishing piers to improve angling access. And the dam face and shorelines prone to wave action will be rip-rapped to protect from erosion and increase shoreline fish habitat availability.
Renovation is expected to be complete by 2025, but unforeseen weather and other complications may extend the operation. Once renovation is complete and the lake is allowed to begin refilling, KDWP will stock forage and sportfish to reestablish a quality angling opportunity in northwest Kansas.
KDWP management staff will hold a public information meeting regarding the SDSL renovation project at the Hoxie High School Auditorium, 1625 Queen Ave., Hoxie, KS 67740 on July 6, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. All interested parties are encouraged to attend.
For more information contact Dave Spalsbury, district fisheries biologist at 785-726-3212.