The Escambia County Public Fishing Lake will remain closed for draining and restocking for the next two years, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Friday.

During the closure, the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division is planning to restock the lake with sport fish species, including largemouth bass. This follows years of large numbers of small bass in the lake depleting the bream population which has led to the lake’s largemouth bass population rapid decline, the agency said.

The lake is also set to be drained so that its underdrain, drain tower, and spillway can be examined to see if any repairs or maintenance will be necessary.

According to the ADCNR. the lake was constructed in the 1980s and has provided almost 40 years of fishing for the area. It was closed last fall after the lake manager resigned.

Anglers looking for an alternative to Escambia County lake during the restocking are encouraged to visit the state-owned public fishing lakes in Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Monroe and Pike counties.

For more information, visit here or call the Fisheries Division at 334-242-3471.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.