Some changes are coming to the Rowan County Park’s fishing ponds as the property continues development.
The Rowan County Fiscal Court approved a Memorandum of Agreement with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife (KDFW) to participate in the state’s Fishing in Neighborhoods program. Through this partnership, KDFW will take over management of the ponds at the Rowan County Park and stock them with a variety of fish.
Dylan Lambert, Director of Operations at the Rowan County Fiscal Court, said the partnership will provide anglers with a more diverse ecosystem to choose from.
“They’ll provide us with technical advice on how to rid ourselves of undesirable plants that are growing on the pond. And they’re also going to stock the pond year-round with bass, trout, catfish,” said Lambert.
To align with KDFW regulations, anyone age 16 or older must now be licensed in order to fish at the park. Once the agency is finished stocking the pond, however, Lambert said people will be allowed to harvest and keep any appropriate-sized fish they catch.
“We had asked the public to catch and release in the ponds prior too, just because it’s going to be costly for the county to stock them," said Lambert. "But Fish and Wildlife encourages people to keep fish that are appropriately sized when they fish them out of there.”
In the meantime, county officials ask fishers to continue catch-and-release practices until the transfer is complete in the coming months. Lambert added the process will not cost the county or parkgoers any money, and the partnership benefits the park and KDFW alike.
Other updates include fixtures being installed at the county park’s bathrooms, and a local organization has donated the funds for a gazebo on the property.