Seth Simpson’s work crew is getting all of the best fishing holes reopened at Rock Creek Lake just in time for the 4th of July weekend.
In the last year, the maintenance of Fort Scott Lake and Rock Creek Lake has come under the airport supervisor.
“I’m not exactly sure of the exact time that the airport got the maintenance of the lakes,” said Seth Simpson, Fort Scott’s Airport and Lakes Supervisor. “I was on orders to Germany for a year for the military. I believe it was about six to nine months ago.” Simpson is in the Missouri National Guard.
“Our duties at the Fort Scott and Rock Creek lakes include feeding the fish at the rearing pond, mowing, weed eating, trimming trees, maintaining the structures that the city owns, emptying trash cans and picking up loose trash, setting up and taking down the swim ropes, and maintaining the beach area.”
This city crew is cleaning up some former fishing spots that have been covered up with brush.
“We are clearing out brush and grass to open up spots that were previously inaccessible due to overgrowth so that people can walk to the water’s edge and be able to cast a line,” Simpson said. “We will continue to open up more spots around the lake as we have time.”
The submitted photos are before-and-after pictures of areas cleared on June 30, near the entrance just off Jayhawk Road near the bridge.
To get to Rock Creek, take Jayhawk Road and turn onto 195th Street and go down until you see the parking lot on the west side of the road.
The new fishing spots are on Jayhawk Road and near the bridge with a gravel parking area.
To learn more, the Facebook page is Fort Scott Airport
I’ve been trying for years to get the brush along the road cut back so you can fish. In the park can’t they take a sickle mower and cut that brush to the waters edge. On the north end of the lake. They did a good job cleaning up the dam. But a long the north end of the lakes has so much poison ivy along it you need to be dressed for it. Need some goats to clean it up. Well that’s my two cents