Avid fishermen in the area won’t be able to put their poles in at Pike County Public Fishing Lake for the next couple of years, but planners believe the lake will be better than ever when it reopens.

The lake has been closed for renovations and restocking. During the closure, the lake’s dam and valve system will be repaired and work will also be done along the shoreline and access road.

“Pike County has been a good lake for many years, but theses renovations should drastically improve the fishing,” said Ken Weathers, District 4 Fisheries Supervisor with the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. “With the City of Troy as a partner, this facility will soon be one of the outdoor gems in southeast Alabama.”

The first point of action is to drain the lake this spring. Then the valve replacement, dam and shoreline repairs will begin in the fall. If all goes according to plan, the lake will be refilled and stocked with bluegill and shellcracker in early 2014. Then will come largemouth bass and channel catfish.

The City of Troy is partnering with the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries to create a destination for more than just fishing. There has been talk of picnic tables and recreation areas for families.

During initial talks between the city and the state, Mayor Jason A. Reeves said he was excited about the possibility of making the lake a place that could be easily used by everyone who lives in the area.

Pike County Public Fishing Lake is one of 23 public lakes statewide where fishing is available. Barbour, Crenshaw, Dale and Coffee county lakes are nearby for anglers who’d like to fish before the Pike County facility reopens in the summer of 2015.