Lake Farley is set and ready for fisherman to enjoy their favorite past time. “The theory is that Lake Farley is just open for kids to fish,” stated city administrator Jason Kettwig. “But that is not the case, it is open to anyone.”
The City of Milbank and the Game, Fish and Parks Department have teamed up to make the lake more favorable for fishing as well as increasing the use of the lake and surrounding park area. In the past months, approximately 500 Northern were added to the lake to help improve the fishing conditions. “There were a lot of small fish such as panfish, bullheads and crappies, so we added more Northerns to weed out those smaller fish,” explained Jamie Pekelder, GFP Conservation Officer. “We have added several hundred over the course of the last three to five years, which should give fisherman another species to enjoy and decrease the overpopulation of the smaller fish.” Recently, 6,000 perch, ranging in size from two to 10 inches, were also added to Lake Farley.
Fishing is allowed off the dock and from non-motorized boats. The City of Milbank has an ordinance in place that makes the use of motorized boats unlawful.
The city is also working on improving the entire park area in hopes that citizens will utilize the park more often. “We have worked to improve the water and fishing conditions and hope to add a floating dock that is handicapped accessible to use for fishing as well,” noted Kettwig. “We are planning to improve the shore area and are also applying for a grant to extend a bike/walking path along the Whetstone Creek, gaining more access to the park area.”
For questions about fishing regulations, contact Pekelder at 605-432-4601.
Staff
