Stephen McDaniel still remembers heading down Orchard Street with a reel in his hand heading to Hinkle and Deegan Lakes. It was, and remains, some of the best memories of his life.

 

“I grew up on those lakes,” said McDaniel, who is today the director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources in West Virginia. “When I was 12 years-old we moved here and it didn’t take long to figure out how to get down there and do some fishing.

 

“I grew up there and did 80 percent of my fishing there so those lakes are personal to me,” McDaniel continued. “Many of my friendships were made there by spending hundreds of hours of fishing with my closest friends.”

 

While those lakes remain personal, they’re now business as well. City Manager Kim Haws confirmed that in 2019, the DNR will assume control of the lakes as far fisheries management and as far as who can fish there. And it all started with the simplest of suggestions.

 

“(Harrison County Delegate) Richard Iaquinta approached me about finding more fishing in North Central West Virginia for people to be able to come to the area as a destination,” said McDaniel. “The fact is that there’s not a lot of trout streams and places with quality to fish in this region.”

 

From there, McDaniel realized his old fishing spot. While it sees plenty of fishing, it’s not part of the state system. Instead, anyone wishing to utilize the lakes in the past had to get a permit from the City of Bridgeport for years at the Benedum Civic Center and then at the Bridgeport Fire Department. A state fishing license or trout stamp was not valid there.

 

In 2019, that will change. At that time, individuals that purchase their state licenses and stamps will have access to Hinkle and Deegan Lakes as well.

 

“The only other lake in Harrison County with trout is Dog Run near Salem,” said David Wellman, the DNR District 1 Fisheries Biologist out of Farmington. “This is going to be a huge boost in terms of how people have an area to go to fish.

 

“The real benefit is that these lakes are centrally located with nice size that’s centrally located,” Wellman continued. “There are handicap ramps and fisherman’s trails around the lake. It’s what those that fish look for and it’s already there.”

 

Haws said it hits on one key thing. And it’s something the city is always trying to do.

 

“We want to make those lakes a destination statewide or for anyone fishing who travels,” said Haws.

 

Bridgeport Parks and Recreation Director Joe Shuttleworth echoed much of that. He pointed to the recreational advantages the DNR offers above an already good situation.

 

“I am looking at this strictly from the recreational benefit of having the facility there. With it under state control, it creates continuity with what the state does,” said Shuttleworth. “Under the old programs, seniors and children had to buys a license to fish there. Now, the same rules apply for seniors and children that are in place at the state level. Every year, particularly with children having to pay, we would get a lot of upset people because children under the age of 15 with state rules don’t need a license.”

 

Understand, the DNR’s involvement doesn’t take away the city’s ownerships or other responsibilities. It’s still the city’s property, but the DNR is bringing the state methods to the table.

 

“We’re going to do monthly stocking from January through April of Rainbow Trout and maybe some Brook Trout,” said Wellman. “That will be the biggest stocking you will see and then we’ll do some Channel Catfish during the summertime. Historically, those lakes have been home to some good fish and because of that some good fishing. We look to enhance that.”

 

Shuttleworth said there are other benefits. He pointed to state run programs like “Free Fishing Day” where individuals are introduced to fishing and people often travel to different sections of the state to take advantage of the opportunity. There is also the advantage of Wellman.

 

“We now have access to a fisheries biologist, which is certainly a good thing,” said Shuttleworth. “Ultimately, we want to see more people taking advantage of those lakes and we think with more stocking alone fishermen, particularly those that are hardcore, will add to the usage.”

 

McDaniel said the sheer numbers involved with the DNR’s permit process should make that a certainty. The numbers, he said, reach six figures.

 

“We have 100,000 people that buy trout stamps in West Virginia so that means you have 100,000 people that will have the ability to go to those lakes,” said McDaniel. “It opens up the entire area for people to visit and you also will see more local people as well because I would imagine there are some people that buy their state license and permit that won’t or haven’t purchased one in the past from the city. I’m excited because I know what’s there and it’s nice to be talking about the lakes again and be able to help bring the state’s stocking program to Bridgeport.”

 

Haws said he expects everything to work out nicely when the DNR begins its role in 2019. He added that if, for some reason, things don’t work out that things are worked out so that the city could resume fisheries management. Outside of that, Haws and Shuttleworth said things will remain status quo for the most part.

 

“I think a lot of people will miss the old traditional opening day because it was like the first day of deer season and that’s going to different,” said Shuttleworth. “Outside of that, it’s the same. The park will still close at dark. We’ll still cut the grass and we’ll still maintain the property. It’s our lakes with the DNR managing the fish that are inside those lakes.”

 

Editor's Note: Photos show fishing taking place at the Bridgeport lakes, while a past stocking handled by private firms is shown below.