LDWF PRESS RELEASE
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is working with the St. Martin Parish Government, the Town of Henderson and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a drawdown on Henderson Lake in St. Martin Parish beginning in August 2018.
The drawdown is part of LDWF’s integrated management plan to control several aquatic nuisance plants including hydrilla, water hyacinth and giant salvinia. The drawdown will also improve sport fish habitat through the drying and compacting of bottom sediments throughout the lake.
The water control structure is scheduled to open the first week of August, and the lake level will be lowered at a rate of approximately 2 to 4 inches per day until it reaches the desired height of 3 feet below pool stage, or 6 feet mean sea level at the United States Geological Survey Lake Pelba gauge. At this level, the flats directly north and south of the I-10 Bridge that experience chronic issues with nuisance aquatic plants will be exposed to air and sunlight.
The drawdown gates are scheduled to close November 1, 2018, to allow the lake to refill for winter and early spring recreational activities.
Although the lake will not be closed to fishing, caution is advised for boaters during the low water period, as boat lanes will not provide normal clearance of cypress stumps and other underwater obstructions.
The current LDWF Lake Henderson Management Plan can be viewed at: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/fishing/waterbody-management-plans-inland
