Normandy Lake Project being conducted to Improve Angler Catch Rates

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency in Region II has built over 900 structures to be placed in area lakes as fish attractors.
The North and South Reservoir crews along with those from Normandy and Springfield Hatcheries set up an assembly line of sorts to construct these odd-looking structures. Concrete blocks, corrugated pipes and concrete are combined to create the attractors that will mimic a stump or grassy vegetation on the lake floor.
Region II Fishery Manager, Todd St John said, “Our area lakes have been impounded for over 50 years and during that time the natural organic material, such as trees and stumps, has decayed leaving the lake floor looking like an underwater desert. This effort is very important to increasing the amount of habitat in the lake. The goal is to bring fish and anglers together and improve angler catch rates and structure is a key in doing that.”
Through a new Fish Habitat Initiative, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission dedicated $200,000 this year for fish habitat improvements that will allow the TWRA to increase the amount of effort and numbers of structures.
This is an ongoing project. This year they are focusing on Percy Priest and Normandy Lakes. In the years to come they will be looking at other reservoirs and agency lakes.
Structures will be taken out on Normandy Lake during this week by a special barge and placed in varying depths along points and flats. The algae that will grow on the pipes will attract smaller fish which will in turn attract larger fish. Fish relate to structure as ambush cover as well as protective cover.