Fishing at Lone Star may soon be cheaper

The idea of not purchasing a Douglas County permit to fish at Lone Star Lake isn’t keeping Lawrence resident Bob Welch up at night.

“It’s fine with me,” he said at the Lake on Saturday. “Just so long as the park is taken care of.”

Fishing and boating at Lone Star likely will get a little cheaper come Monday.

Douglas County commissioners authorized enrolling in the community fisheries assistance program through the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

Enrolling in the program means the county’s regulations and rules for Lone Star have to change. Commissioners are slated to adopt a resolution with the new rules and regulations at Monday’s commission meeting.

Adopting the resolution means that people won’t have purchase a special license to fish and boat at Lone Star Lake.

“They will still need a state permit,” Douglas County public works director Keith Browning said. “But they won’t need a county permit to fish and they won’t have to get a county motor or boat permit either.”

There will be some enhanced monitoring and stocking of fish at the lake because of the program, Browning said.

Kansas Wildlife and Parks will pay the county $7,554 to make up for the lost revenue.

Fees to fish and use boats at Lone Star Lake will be eliminated if Douglas County commissioners approve a rules and regulations resolution on Monday. Here are the current fees:¢ Three-day fishing permit: $5¢ Annual fishing permit: $15¢ Annual boat permit for a county resident: $10¢ Annual boat permit for a noncounty resident: $25¢ Motor permit 10-horse power or less for a county resident: $10¢ Motor permit 10-horse power or less for a noncounty resident: $25¢ Motor permit for more than 10-horse power for a county resident: $20¢ Motor permit for more than 10-horse power for a non-county resident: $65

Browning informed commissioners that some fishermen are concerned by the change. Not requiring the purchase of additional county permits could mean more people. Browning said that some fishermen are worried that will ruin the fishing experience at the county lake.

Lawrence resident Stuart Levine, who fishes at Lone Star, said he’s been asked several times whether he’s upset by the likely change.

“Some people are upset because it may mean more fishermen,” Levine said. “But my habits are eccentric. I’m comfortable if I can hear classical music or a baseball game while fishing.”

He joked though that the less the change is publicized, the better.

“But I’ll be out there anyway,” Levine said.

text Lone Star Lake long on largemouth

Last week, commissioners said they should at least try the program to see how it goes.

Lawrence resident Don Hawley and Welch agreed.

“There may be more people but whether or not it will ruin it, I don’t know,” Welch said. “It’s been here a long time. It’s not been ruined, yet.”