Shelby Farms Park opens Hyde Lake to public fishing
Shelby Farms Park opened its centerpiece lake to public fishing Friday, more than a year ahead of schedule, in a testament to the “healthy fish environment” that has developed there, park officials say.
Hyde Lake will be opened to fishing along designated areas of the southern shore, or from non-motorized vessels. No fee is charged for fishing, but a valid Tennessee fishing license is required.
As part of a $52 million project completed in 2016, the lake was expanded from 52 to nearly 80 acres.
Fishing was suspended after the project to allow for stocked fish to sufficiently mature. Park officials expected that process to take three years, “but a healthy fish environment was established sooner, allowing fishing to return a year earlier than anticipated,” the park said in a news release.
Fishing can help manage the lake’s ecology and fish habitat, according to park officials.
The lake is host to bass, bluegill, bream, buffalo fish and catfish — all of which fishermen can keep after catching. But any carp caught must be returned to the lake.
“We value our fishing community,” said Jen Andrews, CEO of Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, the private, non-profit group managing the Shelby County-owned park, in a statement.
“While the Park includes many lakes and ponds that are available for fishing, Hyde Lake has been a popular spot for local fishermen for years. We are excited to welcome them back to this special lake.”
Reach Tom Charlier at thomas.charlier@ commercialappeal.com or 901-5292572 and on Twitter at @thomasrcharlier.