A number of issues are ongoing around both Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee that I thought were worthwhile addressing in this column. These issues impact lake residents, anglers, the local economy and those that use the lake for other activities.

Last year, Georgia Power had to deal with a serious invasive grass/algae issue primarily on Lake Sinclair but there were isolated cases on Lake Oconee. Georgia Power was expecting the grass/algae problem to return and possibly increase this year and I just got word from an angler that an algae bloom is now occurring in some portions of the lake. The bad invasive grasses that showed up last year may yet reemerge.

Good grasses like water willow have expanded particularly on Lake Oconee this summer. It remains unknown why the good grasses like water willow has expanded this year. Some of the possible reasons for the increase in water willow could be simply a cyclical thing.

“Aquatic vegetation populations, like all populations whether animal or plant, wax and wane over time, depending on a host of environmental factors; so the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) can’t take all the credit for the water willow expansion due to our habitat enhancement activities,” said Steve Schleiger, GDNR Fisheries Biologist. “The key factors for submerged aquatic vegetation expansion like water willow are nutrients and sunlight with sunlight being the primary factor.”

Some of the algae and other grasses that plagued the lakes last year did not occur until late in the summer last year so if you witness any grasses other than shoreline water willow growing in the lake or if you are an angler and find globs of algae on your lures please notify the Georgia Land Management Office at 478-485-8704.

Little River Park has announced new parameters for hosting fishing tournament at their park. They will only host tournaments with a total of eighty or less boats and vehicles. That decision will likely eliminate the larger fishing tournaments from coming to Lake Sinclair. Those larger tournaments include the B.A.S.S. Weekend Series, The FLW Bulldog Division and the Berry’s Trail just to name a few.

The only option remaining for the larger tournaments that want to visit Lake Sinclair is the GDNR Dennis Station Access. That facility has excellent ramps, docks and parking to accommodate the bigger tournament but it also has a number of negative attributes. The facility has no security, does not have adequate restroom facilities for large crowds, is located down a long winding road (Dennis Station Road) and does not have any type of facility for weighing fish.

A weigh facility was built at the Dennis Station Access by volunteers some time ago but that facility was burned by someone about two years ago. When the Dennis Station Access was built, the GDNR had hoped that Putnam County would manage the facility and provide security and other improvements but Putnam County chose not to take that action due to the costs involved.

When larger fishing tournaments come to Lake Sinclair, it brings big dollars to the local economy when anglers buy gas and groceries, eat at area restaurants and book hotel rooms. Sadly unless something is done to address this issue, those tournaments will no longer visit Lake Sinclair and the local economy will suffer. Currently Sugar Creek Marina on Lake Oconee plays hosts too many fishing tournaments both large and small on Lake Oconee and that will continue at that excellent facility.

Georgia Power’s Plant Branch is scheduled to close in April 2015. The major impact of that closing will be on the local economy especially the tax digest in Putnam County and the employees at the plant but will have little negative impact on the Lake Sinclair fishery and will have no impact on the Lake Oconee fishery. Beaverdam Creek will no longer have hot water released into the creek and nearby areas and that might in fact have a positive impact on the fishery. Beaverdam Creek no longer will be known as the warm water cove that attracts anglers during the winter months due to the warm water.

The adding of fish attractors continues at both Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee. I have no attractor updates for Lake Oconee but this summer the GDNR added additional fish attractors to Lake Sinclair and Georgia Power added a number of Christmas trees structures earlier in the year.

I have the updated list of GDNR fish attractors for Lake Sinclair and the original GDNR list of attractors for Lake Oconee. You can receive a computer file with either or both GPS list by sending me a request to my email address at brpeoples@windstream.net.

In addition, Georgia Power has developed a computer application that shows the location of the Christmas trees that have been placed in Lake Sinclair over the last few years. The Georgia Power Internet site for that Sinclair map of Christmas trees is http://gpclakes.southernco.com. Click on fishing, click on Lake Sinclair fish attractors and when the map appears click on the fish symbol to get the GPS coordinates.

If you have questions or comments about the above updates please send me an email. Good fishing and see you next week.