DIAGONAL – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources plans to begin lowering Fogle Lake near Diagonal in Ringgold County after the Labor Day holiday weekend.
The lake will be lowered up to five feet from normal pool throughout the fall and winter season. Boaters should still be able to utilize the boat ramp this fall, but should use extreme caution as potential hazards such as tree stumps, cedar tree brush piles or other structures may be at or near the water’s surface.
A water level draw-down is a common fisheries management technique used to improve the size of panfish. The reduced lake surface area concentrates the fish into a smaller area making panfish more susceptible to predation by largemouth bass and other predators. The increased predation reduces the abundance of panfish, but improves growth of those that avoid predation.
The DNR has lowered Fogle Lake on a four-year rotation since 2008. The number of quality-sized bluegills and crappies has increased. The DNR will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the water level draw-down strategy on the panfish population at Fogle Lake.