Inland Fisheries Division District 5 Habitat Work

Written by Dani Guiot, District 5 Fisheries Biologist

Fish can run (swim) but we believe they can’t hide . . . . from you! The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) District 5 Inland Fisheries personnel have been busy working to improve fish habitat for North Carolina anglers. NCWRC thanks the Kevin VanDam Foundation, MossBack Fish Habitat and MinnKota for donating fish attractors recently deployed in B. E. Jordan Reservoir. Personnel from the NCWRC’s Inland Fisheries and Land and Water Access divisions placed the MossBacks around the reservoir in varying depths to benefit all anglers. The MossBacks will provide cover and shade for fish to congregate and, in turn, a place for larger fish to ambush their prey. There are now four marked MossBack fish attractor sites in addition to many other artificial structures found throughout B. E. Jordan Reservoir.

Inland Fisheries Division personnel also placed several new PVC spool fish attractors and cut-and-cabled shoreline trees in lakes Cammack, Rogers, Farmer, Mackintosh and Randleman this fall. The PVC spools are a new design deployed for the first time this year, so they may still appear as “Other” on the fish attractor map with the correct title listed in the notes. Volunteers with the Tarheel Lunkers Kayak Fishing Team helped choose locations and deploy 16 new fish attractors at Lake Mackintosh. Most new sites are located on the electric motor-only side of the lake with depths ranging from 7-17 feet. Lakes Farmer, Rogers, Cammack and Randleman received 41 new artificial fish attractors in 7-37 feet of water. Sixteen shoreline trees that met our qualifications were cut and cabled in Lake Cammack and Randleman Regional Reservoir.

Most municipal lakes within the NCWRC’s District 5 now have upgraded artificial fish attractors and cut-and-cabled trees. These structures provide cover for fish where there was little to none before. Fish attractors also concentrate fish and provide anglers with a great place to try their luck. Cut-and-cabled trees provide immediate cover for fish to congregate and are cabled to the shoreline to prevent them from floating off and becoming a boating hazard.