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ALERT. From 4/23/2010 CDOW press release:
"All information points to a winterkill situation caused by an extremely cold winter paired with very low lake levels. There were several weeks of thick ice cover on the lake last winter. Such ice cover is rare in the southeast quadrant of the state," said Doug Krieger, a senior aquatic biologist with the DOW.
"Capping the nutrient-rich lake under a cover of ice exhausted the oxygen supply. It seems to be unprecedented. Our biologists have never seen this kind of loss at Nee Gronde before," he said.
Unfortunately, there are virtually no fish left for anglers.
DOW employees noticed dead fish along the shoreline shortly after ice-out last month. Aquatic Biologist Jim Ramsay set six nets on April 15, and set 12 nets on April 20, but only captured five carp that were barely alive.
The DOW is currently devising a strategy to rebuild the fishery by stocking gizzard shad to develop a forage base.
"This winter was a perfect storm of compromised water quality, low lake levels, and very cold winter temps. It is a shame to lose such a productive fishery, but we plan to restore it over the next several months through an aggressive stocking program," said Krieger.
Nee Gronde Reservoir is located on the eastern plains of Colorado in Kiowa County. Named for the Kiowa Nation the county covers 1,771 square miles and including 15 square miles of water. The county seat is Eads. This ares is where the Sand Creek Massacre (the outright slaughter of more than 400 unarmed Cheyenne and Arapaho women, children) took place on November 29, 1864. The national scandal that erupted over this event eventually cost Territorial Governor John Evans his job for his part in the incident. Colonel John Chivington, commander of the US forces involved, was castigated by Congress and his reputation is still tainted by what happened that day under his command. In 2005, the National Park Service finally designated the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site and in 2007, set a stone plaque in place as a memorial (but it seems the plaque is in the wrong place.
The reservoir is co-managed by Amity Irrigation Co., BLM, and CDOW. Faciluties include a state-maintained boat ramp and with floating pier at County Rd. There is an additional ramp available
at privately owned campground on north side of lake. Visitors will find primitive camping, restrooms.
With a typical depth of 10-15 ft and 1700 surface acres, Nee Gronde Reservoir provides excellent fishing for saugeye, wiper, white bass, and smallmouth bass. Good populations catfish are present as well. This lake is a popular hot spot for spring saugeye and wiper fishing. Smallmouth bass action has improved in the past 2 years. Crappie fishing can be good in the spring, but action has declined in the past few years. Weather conditions can change quickly, high winds are common. Lake contains many submerged trees and bushes that are potentially hazardous.
2010 CDOW FIshing Forecast
Other than minimal precipitation, the irrigation companies did not add any fresh water to Nee Gronde Reservoir in 2009, and water levels continue to slowly decline. However, Nee Gronde is still fairly deep in places with depths up to 20'. Although waters levels have diminished this reservoir is still highly productive. Expectations were high for another phenomenal fishing season at Nee Gronde. Unfortunately, a severely cold winter with extended ice and snow cover combined with low water levels caused a substantial fish kill. While the majority of the dead fish appear to be carp, some game fish also died. It is unclear if game fish populations have been severely damaged. Investigations are underway to determine the extent of the kill. Anglers should contact the Lamar DOW office to get the latest information.
Efforts are continuing to provide boat access to Nee Gronde during these low water periods. Currently, a low water gravel ramp that had been submerged for many years is being refurbished to provide boat access. Boaters should contact the Lamar DOW office before towing a boat to Nee Gronde.
Getting there: Kiowa County. Travel south of Eads, CO on US Hwy 287 15 miles to Reservoir
Fees: None
Boating: All Boats Allowed. Boating is prohibited in a manner that creates a white water wake in the channel between Upper Queens and Lower Queens.
Ice Fishing: No |
