Lake Altoona off limits to ice fishing this winter

Friday, October 30, 2015
Keith Edwards, WQOW

Altoona (WQOW) - A popular area lake will be off limits to ice fishing this winter, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 

DNR officials told News 18 that Lake Altoona will probably close starting in December and last all winter because of potential effects of the recent drawdown of the lake for dam repairs.

A DNR fisheries supervisor said with the lake drawn down by seven feet so far, about half of the lake is dry and much more is too shallow to hold fish. The predicted conditions means fish will be concentrated, making them too easy to catch, which could harm the fishery. 

The ice is also expected to be very unstable due to the drawdown. A public information meeting is expected to be held around late November, with the lake closing shortly after that. 

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