Want To Gain, Keep, Or Lose Lake Access Rights?

Thats been the hot topic lately it seems. One of the Reservoirs in Rochester Mn., Silver Creek Reservoir, has no trespassing signs on the land around it and is NOT open to the public. The land around it is private land yet anglers are fishing on it. Haverhill Township will have to take a vote on whether to make it open to the public yet soon. Other problems are happening around other reservoirs, ponds, lakes and rivers too-people, anglers, are leaving their garbage laying around the shorelines. Do we want to see fishing/access rights taken away for littering? If we anglers cheerish our fishing then we had better not be destroying the looks of our shorelines by leaving trash there. Simple common sense here. If each one of us would carry a plastic sack with us each time we go fishing and pick up any trash we see laying around we won’t have to worry about towns, townships, landowners and law enforcement thinking of taking our right to fish and access bodies of water. It only takes a few littering anglers to ruin it for all of us so its very important that we ALL pick up after ourselves and others if needed. This way private landowners won’t be afraid to let us us their land to access water hopefully. And towns won’t have the extra expense of picking up our garbage either. We all have alot to say in the rights we have, gain, or maybe even someday lose. Lets do our best to keep and gain accesses to the bodies of water that we and others like to fish. Thanks.

One thing that people can do to help gain access to this new Reservoir is to e-mail your comments about opening up the new Reservoir to the public to: [email protected] and please be polite as we are asking these people to help us anglers by opening it up for fishing. There is an article about this in the Thursday nights Post Bullertin newspaper. Its on the front page and more about it in the sports section.
Thanks, Bill

Thanks for posting this Bill. I’ve sent my e-mail expressing that I would like to see Silver Creek open to the public.

Good Fishing,
Mike

You hit it right on the head Bill!I’ve sent my e-mail.

Mail has been sent

I also fired off my two cents worth. Remember if we are granted the opportunity to fish there, then we also have a responsibility to make sure that resource is protected and we can fish in harmony with the neighbors that will be watching us very very closely.

My grandma lives about 1 mile away from the Silver Creek Resevior. This year is the first time I’ve ever seen people on it. You can legally access it if you walk on the frozen creek. We did it once and just slayed the crappies and perch. Hopefully they will expand and make it a public access so we can fish it when the creek isn’t frozen. Thanks

Tony

Email has been sent. Thanks for the info!

I have had some people who ice fished out there, tell me, they just slaughtered or killed them. That disturbs me when I hear it put that way. From what I can tell that reservior isn’t all that big. So if the pickings are that easy, how soon before it is fished out.
Also, will the DNR get involved, managing it and restocking it? I seriously believe all the Rochester reservoirs should have the same regulations as Chestewoods. Limt of 10 Bluegills and they have to be 7 inches. I remember when a couple of the reservoirs were first opened. In order to achieve a respected fishery with decent numbers and size, it takes about 5 years. It would be a shame to ruin 5 years of growing in 2 years.
Just some thoughts. OK, I’ll hop down off my soap box now, sorry.

I heard stories at the barber shop about a number of northerns being taken out of this pond. By the time someone decides to make it legal there won’t be anything left in it to fish for. Very Sad.

I probably used the wrong word. We didn’t actually keep any fish. What I meant to say was that we caught and released a whole bunch of fish. Sorry if I offended anybody.

Tony

Tony, I want to apologize to you and it was not my intention to attack or bash you personally. Yes, I too have used the same language after a hot day of fishing.
Rather I remember some who have taken advantage. You and I release the majority of what we catch. There are those who don’t. Then they brag about it. They find a hot spot and just take, don’t return. No, I am not against taking a meal home to eat. I have done that also. However, take only what you can eat for a meal. I have seen some who find a hot spot then go and take limits day after day, until the well runs dry. Those are the same that later wonder, gee, where have all the fish gone. They just don’t get it. Tony, you continue to slay em, keep some to eat, but remember give something back. Good fishing buddy.