Fishing Pier

Refuge management using explosives for island construction
SNWR Historic Photograph/USFWS.

Welcome to the Fishing Pier, a popular fishing deck for visitors of all ages. Try your luck at the pool's pike, perch, bullhead, and sunfish here or at any of the other pools along the fishing loop. You can walk or bike past the gate, which offers more secluded fishing opportunities. If you look out past the pier you will notice a small island just a few yards from shore. This island was created by explosives, using the same methods as I - Pool shown in the image above. All the pools you see on the refuge are man-made, and sometimes the use of explosives were employed to meet certain management needs. In this case, an island was created to provide habitat for nesting waterfowl. The photo was taken in 1964. The average depth of our pools is 7 to 10 feet deep, with the deepest areas directly off the shore. This is because more dirt was required to build the roadways, so it was dug up deeper on the banks and piled.