On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Berks County Conservation District gave a behind the scenes look at the soon-to-be-completed, large-scale, fish habitat project on Blue Marsh Lake.
This multi-year project, funded through a $134,000 U.S. Open grant from Bass Pro Shops, includes the construction and placement of approximately 350 wooden lake habitat structures (watch the video here) designed to provide refuge and spawning habitat for Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and various other species of gamefish.
These improvements, which will result in fishing hotspots throughout the lake at various depths, will enhance fishing for both boat and shoreline angling.
In addition to wooden habitat structures that have been placed into the lake, rock structures placed along the shoreline have stabilized more than 1,500 linear feet of shoreline that were severely eroded.
The addition of these structures will increase shoreline fish habitat, benefit anglers through increased safe access to shoreline fishing, and improve water quality.
Blue Marsh Lake is a 1,150 acre reservoir in Berks County that is managed for flood control by the USACE. This reservoir hosts approximately 24 bass tournaments each year and is managed under the PFBC’s Big Bass Program regulations. Blue Marsh Lake is also a major destination for recreational anglers from the nearby city of Reading and surrounding areas.
