Kenansville Lake, Florida

[George_Welcome]

KENANSVILLE LAKE-formerly Blue Cypress Reservoir (Indian River County):
Kenansville Lake is a shallow 2,500- acre impoundment with an average water depth of 3 feet. This area was cattle pasture prior to flooding in 1993. Boaters, especially those unfamiliar with this water body, should navigate with caution as there are rows of submerged fence posts throughout the lake. Interior levees are also located at the north, center and south areas of the lake. A single lane concrete boat ramp is the only facility on the site. The town of Kenansville is the closest place to obtain gas, food and bait. Although most anglers fish this area by boat, bank fishing is available along the access canal and north end of the lake for those willing to walk or ride a bicycle to those areas. The most popular fish species include: black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass and catfish. All largemouth bass are protected by a special no harvest regulation.

Construction of the Kenansville Re-diversion Project by the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Army Corps of Engineers commenced this May. It consists of a large weir and flow-way constructed in the levee east of the boat ramp and the plugging of the canal in the northeast corner of the lake. The purpose is to provide hydrological separation of Kenansville Lake from the C-40 canal draining Blue Cypress Lake. Kenansville Lake will then drain into the marsh to the north, where vegetation will extract much of the nutrient load known to exist in these waters. Construction is expected to be completed in mid-June with plugging of the canal following soon afterward. Anglers should be aware that they will no longer be able to run from Blue Cypress Lake to Kenansville Lake.

Water management in Florida is most often at odds with fishermen. Alterations to habitat run amok here with little regard for the effect that it will have for the sporting public. In most cases little or no input is alowed by the public, for that matter the public is so poorly informed that much takes place before it is too late to get involved.

Such is the case of Kenansville. What has occured at this bass factory is highlighted above. However, you will note that nothing is said about what the change will do to water levels for the future of the lake or its inhabitants.

Sunday we went to have a look see at what the changes have done. Water levels over most of the open water areas of the lake is 1 foot or less. There are three ditches that run east to west: the adjacent levees have 5 inches or less of water on them. What this bodes for the fishery: disaster with a capitol "D". With the plugging of the canal entering the NE corner the influx of water into the lake will be strictly rain, or rainwater run off. With the low levels of the lake if the influx of water is large the disolved oxygen levels will drop and not support life more than likely.

This lake has been a fish factory with some of the finest crappie and blue gill fishing in the entire Blue Cypress Conservation Area. As a bass lake, December through February saw fishing at a level that would compete with even the Stick Marsh. Even if a fish kill doesn't occur, the lake will be unfishable to all but those on airboats unless some change occur that would restore inflow and raise water levels to those prior to the changes made. Without changes made to restore this lake a fish kill is inevitable.
In addition, access to this lake is now only via the ramp, which makes the drive considerable further for most that fished this lake.

If you have or have had thoughts of coming to this lake you might want to reconsider.

Without the changes to restore access, inflow, and water levels, I will no longer be offering this as an alternative lake.

[flbassman]

Nice post george. It's sad to see a good lake go, but that's how it goes when we screw with nature. Just look at okechobee and the glades....