Lake Lowell South Shore Waders...

[SmartWeed]

I have noted quite a few posts about fishing the south shore of Lake Lowell by wading. I have been doing so for over 50 years and enjoy it greatly. My biggest LL bass was caught while wading.

At one of the recent open house meetings with the Refuge managers I learned that this is illegal. They told me they at it now and do not enforce the rule, but that it is illegal to wade anywhere along the south side of Lake Lowell.

Then they proceeded to tell me that with their preferred new management plan it will still be illegal, but that they will enforce the no trespassing, except during duck season. They intend to build nice docks that extend out into the lake at each access area (like that will work) and we can all sit in a row and fish from the dock. I said that sounds awfully regimented and the reply was that was what they wanted.

If you enjoy wading the south side of the Lake, you'd better start protesting this proposed regulation, or plan to became a rule violator.
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[idahoron]

So is it illegal to fish in a float tube or a pontoon? The lake Nazi's need to be put in their place. Ron
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[monkeee2002]

[quote SmartWeed]I have noted quite a few posts about fishing the south shore of Lake Lowell by wading. I have been doing so for over 50 years and enjoy it greatly. My biggest LL bass was caught while wading.

At one of the recent open house meetings with the Refuge managers I learned that this is illegal. They told me they at it now and do not enforce the rule, but that it is illegal to wade anywhere along the south side of Lake Lowell.

Then they proceeded to tell me that with their preferred new management plan it will still be illegal, but that they will enforce the no trespassing, except during duck season. They intend to build nice docks that extend out into the lake at each access area (like that will work) and we can all sit in a row and fish from the dock. I said that sounds awfully regimented and the reply was that was what they wanted.

If you enjoy wading the south side of the Lake, you'd better start protesting this proposed regulation, or plan to became a rule violator.[/quote]

I saw a bunch of kids wading around my local pond, gunning for bass, the other day.
It made me wonder, how they keep from trampling the bass nests?
Maybe that's what F&G has in mind, too.
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[SmartWeed]

Ron, pontoon boats or float tubes are OK when launched from the public access areas - at least for now. They just don't want anyone accessing the lake on the south shore except at their access points.

Monkeee, these rules are from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, not the Idaho Fish & Game. The purpose is to keep man out, and has nothing to do with bass spawning.
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[dtayboyz]

I may be wrong, but I believe the water belongs to the farmers. It was designed as a "shock absorber" for irrigation. Now they have a better grip on water management, they oughta dry it up and the artificial population of birds would go back to Oregon with the hippies. Just saying.
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[BBART]

I'm . I know that there are multiple (8) access points along the South, Southwest side of the lake. It appears to me that from the west side of access point #1 all the way to the dam is considered the "Southside" recreation area. It also appears that the "no entry" area begins at the east side of access area #1, roughly where the "no wake" bouy's would reach shore and goes around to meet the New York canal sides. If you're in a boat up the canal, it is clearly marked to keep out on that Southside.

It's a pretty large lake, I guess I don't see a large problem with this small area on the Southeast end of the lake being closed to folks tromping around. Maybe I'm missing something. ...... It sounds like great fishing. Is this the specific area where they are saying it is illegal .... the extreme Southeast corner? If not, just where is this prohibition listed as a "law"?

As a side note, I don't particularly agree with the USFWS new plans, and in a recent discussion with a county employee, it sounds like the County is not going to just "roll over" if the USFWS gets too crazy in limiting recreation on Lowell. They, along with the water district do have some cards to play regarding the lake itself..... not so much with the lands around and above the high water mark.

Here's a link to the map I was using: http://www.fws.gov/deerflat/mapbig.htm
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[SmartWeed]

The water does belong to the irrigators. I am one of them. The Canyon County Commission is fighting the new rules from this point of view, saying that the federal government has no jurisdiction over the water. They'll probably lose.

Lake Lowell has a very complex tangle of government rulers: The Bureau of Reclamation controls the water, the Idaho F&G Department sets hunting and fishing rules, the Canyon County Sheriff's Department is in charge of law enforcement, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service controls the land around the lake and the islands on the Snake River.
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[SmartWeed]

Is this the specific area where they are saying it is illegal .... the extreme Southeast corner? If not, just where is this prohibition listed as a "law"?

According to the refuge manager all of the south shore from the NY canal to the Lower Dam is closed to access, except at their "Access areas" (I quote this because half of them are padlocked to limit access). I also do not see this in the regulations, but I was told this by three different staff members at the last public meeting. As I said, and as I told them, I have been fishing the south shore for over 50 years. I was told this was illegal, but is not enforced. Call them up and ask about it. However in their favored plan this rule will be enforced. All I know is that's what I was told by the people in charge.
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[Oskolkoff]

i guess i dont understand why some on wading the south side would cause any harm i enjoy wading out their and i have tried to wade the north side drops off quick and has little cover plus the fishing is no where near as good if they shut down the lake to every it will be such a waist what a shame
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