Hammond Lake Fish Habitat Improvements

Lake: Tioga-Hammond Lakes

Partners: USACE; Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Bass Clubs other groups, individual volunteers

Partnership Type: MOU and Habitat Improvement Plans with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

Corps POC: Mark W. Simonis, Park Ranger

Story: The bottom of Hammond Lake is very flat with relatively shallow water (average depths of 10–15 ft) and very little natural bottom structure. To provide what was lacking, the staff at Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes has partnered with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and with a multitude of individual and group volunteers in an effort to improve the fishery. Since 1982 hundreds of devices have been constructed and installed. On Saturday, September 13, 2003 the final year of the current five-year plan will be completed. A new three-year plan has already been developed for 2004 – 2006. The success of these efforts has been realized in that Hammond Lake has one of the best crappie fisheries in the state of Pennsylvania. In fact, Richard A. Pino of Covington, PA caught the current state record black crappie from Hammond Lake on May 28, 2002. It measured in at 19-3/8 in. with a girth of 15-7/8 in. and weighed 4 lb. and 2.88 oz.

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