Another Round of Winter – it was fun to see the lake freeze over and the ice boats out. Gary Schroeder was kind enough to take my wife Janie for a spin. Along the dam a few ice fisherman and boys skating with hockey sticks. As I write this the ice is already starting to melt as we see some warmer weather.
The most famous groundhog (or woodchuck) that sees its shadow on Groundhog Day is Punxsutawney Phil, who resides in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. In 2026, Phil saw his shadow on February 2nd, signaling six more weeks of winter. Other notable, though less famous, groundhogs include Staten Island Chuck and Woody the Woodchuck. The question is can we get snow in the mountains for us skiers.
The snow and cold weather put a damper on some of the outdoor work, but as soon as we can get running you’ll see the crews working on locating dredge pipe in Waterfall Cove and ICON digging into the V Block Culvert project.
The Roads committee has the bids from the various road contractors for our planned work this year, so on track to be ready as soon as school is out. 4 culverts will be replaced along the north shore before the road resurface so keep an eye open for workers doing the culvert work.
The Board of Directors updated the fishing rule to help address the ongoing issue of non‑residents fishing on the lake. One of the biggest problems continues to be contractors who return after hours or on weekends to fish as many times they bring out their buddies. Please do not allow your contractors to come onto the property outside their working hours and you must be present on the property under the new rule if you give permission to a little fishing on a break.
While we want to maintain the friendly atmosphere of the lake, the new rule does require the owner or immediate family member to be present at the property. This means don’t tell your friend or distant relative they can come out whenever they want.
While the revised rule strengthens enforcement, trespassing laws are still our primary tool for managing non‑resident fishing. If you see a single person you don’t recognize fishing, it’s usually not a major concern. Our focus is on larger groups or individuals’ who have large number of fishing lines in the water or using remote‑control catfish rigs. If you see a group gathered on the shoreline, docks, back of covers or other areas, contact the Lotawana Police Department, as they are responsible for enforcing trespassing laws. Do not attempt to confront or remove the group yourself.
FYI, the Association budget includes $16,000 for fish stocking during 2026, and in recent years we’ve spent from $10-$14,000/year. Our fisherman are great stewards of this resource and together with the DNR we work hard to keep the various species intact. Red Ear for Zebra Mussels, Grass Carp for grasses, Hybrids to manage the Shad population, and of course bass for the sportsman. Catfish play a major role in our eco-system, so we went to ensure they are not being harvested in mass. Thank you all in advance on helping us preserve our ecosystem.
Courtesy Reminders – the Annual Meeting is coming up in March with voting for the odd district directors. Typically everyone votes for the current director in their district unless they step down. Then we recruit someone who will run and reach out to members letting them know. The ballot is a list of all the members in the district as anyone can run. If you don’t know who your director, you can call the office for that information.
Invoices sent out in January due by the end of February, so please don’t forget and avoid having interest added to your bill.
If you have questions or topics, you would like discussed regarding the Association, please feel free to drop me a note at President@lakelotawana.net.
Sincerely,
Jeff Clemow
President