Local Fishing?

[brianbarker]

May be a dumb question but I just moved here and have had a handful of people tell me they have fished golf course ponds/lakes before but never around Springfield. I was wondering if any locals knew if the million golf courses around here alowed fishing? I have heard if you find the right spot they can be awesome places. Don't want to just start calling but I will if nobody knows anything. Thanks a bunch

[zander]

I haven't fished any of the golf course lakes, but I have fished the little pond on the left hand side when south bound on Fremont right before you get to Independence Dr. I caught a couple of feisty little LM's each time and I think there are crappie in there too. I wouldn't eat them no how no way though. You should be alright fishing there on the weekend's or after regular business hours for the buildings there. If you get bored of fishing you can walk over the hill to the exposed bedrock and find a ton of fossils. I want to fish the little pond on Fremont by the tag office and the pond behind the Cody's station on W. Republic Rd. Anybody fish those?

[brianbarker]

I found the pond on Fremont, oppisite from the Burrell park/children's center, I'm going to try it out tomorrow. I'm wondering about this Doling park, I've been there once to check it out but don't guess you can fish the lake? Anyone know if any of these are public? Sequiota Park, the holes along Jones Spring, and the 3 large ponds between Sunshine and Battlefield and Schoolcraft Freeway on the east side of town? I'm just seeing these places on Google Earth, so I just know there is water there. Also, anyone know if the Burrell park lake is open to fishing? Wouldn't think it would be where it is but who knows... Thanks a ton

[Flysmallie]

Sequiota Park is the first place I ever fly fished. Nice size bluegill and some LM. Last year they had up No Fishing signs. There are a couple of little ponds on South Scenic between Sunshine and Battelfield. The one on the west side of scenic has some nice fish in it, but it is usaully covered in weeds pretty early in the summer. And you gotta watch out for the golf balls coming from the driving range. You don't want to get hit by one of those, trust me.

Valley Water Mill has been another good one, but they are doing so much work around it with walking trails it may not be the same. They have removed most of the brush that was long the bank where the fish held.

There are several small places to fish close to Springfield you just gotta search them out. I haven't ever had any luck getting to fish a golf course pond.

[zsmith62]

Don't quote me on this, but I think they banned fishing in most of the city park ponds...

[brianbarker]

I called about ValleyWater Mill lake and it is closed "for quite a while" because they are building 3 fishing peirs and some walking trails so I guess its out for a little while, and I can't find anything about Sequiota park allowing fishing so I guess I'll drive out and check it out, I'm really close to it. I went out and fished the little pond East of Fremont right by JR Freeway this morning and dispite the light snowing and cold I caught 2 little largemouth on a 8" worm and 1 palm size bluegill on a road runner. I'm going to go check out the ponds on Scenic by the golf course latet today I think. I don't guess that it is a park, can't find a name for it anywhere. If there isn't any signs I'm fishin'. Thanks for all the info!

[WebFreeman]

I used to fish the Burrell pond a lot. I've caught bass up to 15" in there and some big bluegill and green sunfish. In fact, when I finally bought a nice fly rod at backcountry, I drove straight there. It's actually the Ward Branch that runs through twin oaks country club. I've seen some big fish in that pond by Horton Smith Ronnie mention, but it does get weedy. I've never done much there. This is a little creek that runs behind w/ some nice pools, but the fish are real spooky.

[bigfish]

Well the two ponds at the back of Horton Smith is now not open to fish as it was when I was a kid but there is a creek that runs in front of them that you can fish now I know your thinking creek but it has some huge Largemouth bass,Carp,Bullhead,and I have even caught a smallie that was about two pounds out of there I don't go there as often as I used to but that creek runs a ways just find the deeper pools and I know they all hold fish but they are picky. I have never done any good with big spinners usually when the water is warm a 6 in red/blue flaked worm works wonders as well as watermelon/red flk chompers skirted grubs they will usually inhale these baits they also like brown french frie worms also. I have lived up the road from this creek for years and have walked the whole thing and on a good warm day you should be able to catch some really good fish. The last I heard you could fish at Doling Park but there is nothing but very small bass and few to be had but there is some carp in there not much count either I would say you would be better off just making the short drive to 215 bridge outside Morrisville also just not too far southeast of town here is Joe Crieghton access might want to see what it has to offer there are lots of ponds and streams too many to list but good luck fishing and in my perspective that little South Creek is worth a shot on any day. BRANDON

[zsmith62]

Decided to hit the pond off fremont after school today with my fly rod, and quickly found out how skittish the fish were. I managed to pull in five small bluegill with an olive wooly bugger and a little hairwing streamer I came up with a couple months ago.

After I got tired of fighting the wind and the spooking fish, I went across the road to burrell but never made a cast because all I saw in it were a bunch of those jumbo goldfish.

Anyways, i may go back to the fremont pond tommorow with some worms or something, maybe that will help get them less spooky. Ill probably still bring the flyrod to mess around with, maybe the wind or something made them scare easier today.

I did see a HUGE snapping turtle over there though.

[zsmith62]

Almost forgot, but if you drive down to rivercut golf course, the part of the james that flows by the parking lot is great for some smallmouth and lots of goggle eye and bluegills.