Lake Kissimmee is a classic example of how well a Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) management concept can work to ensure that anglers enjoy banner fishing experiences while simultaneously enhancing water quality, restoring littoral habitat, and replacing noxious weed growth with desirable, productive aquatic plant species.

This 35,000-acre eutrophic gem in Osceola County is the crown jewel in a sprawling Kissimmee Waterway that includes such popular lakes as Tohopekaliga (Toho), East Lake Toho, Jackson, Hatchineha, Cypress, Rosalie, Tiger, Alligator, Weohyakapka (Walk-In-Water), Marian and a myriad of smaller piscatorial delights in a chain of lakes that are navigational through an intricate series of canals, creeks and man-made locks.

FWC objectives include maintaining or increasing angler utilization above current levels, maintaining or exceeding the fishing satisfaction level of freshwater anglers, establishing Lake Kissimmee as a Fish Management Area, optimizing sportfish production and recruitment through littoral habitat management, and educating the public to resource needs and rational fisheries management practices.

Historically, problems at Lake Kissimmee centered mainly on significantly altered water level fluctuations, which culminated in degraded fish and wildlife habitat.

Work in attaining FWC objectives and solving the lake's problems is currently underway and will continue on a permanent basis.

In June, 1996, the latest of a periodic, two-decade series of lake drawdowns was completed and, two months later, mechanical harvesting of floating tussocks was initiated, a project that was completed in April, 1997.

Also completed that month, was a combined FWC, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) effort to coordinate hydrilla management activities and conduct vegetation management on enhanced areas.

Concluded last spring was an "Earth Day" clean-up of Lake Kissimmee utilizing more than 200 volunteers and, in July, a project using volunteers to replant areas of the lake with bulrush, knotgrass and eelgrass was consummated.

Some 500,000 cubic yards of muck and bottom sediments were removed during the extreme drawdown phase which once again opened large portions of the lake's littoral zone to wade fishermen.

According to FWC Biologist Mikel Hulon, the lake's project director, 25 miles of Kissimmee's shallow shoreline are now available to waders.

"Prior to the drawdown," Hulon emphasized, "wadeable shoreline had dwindled from an all-time high of 53 miles, to a scant two miles."

"Until the mid-1970's," he continued, "Kissimmee was world renown for its wade fishing and the subsequent loss through lake degradation was significant."

Wadeable areas are now found near such public access points as the Overstreet Landing on the lake's east side, Shandy Oaks Fish Camp to the south, and Kissimmee State Park at the north end.

Controlling the spread of such undesirable aquatic plant growth as hydrilla, cattails, pickerelweed and spatterdock will be an ongoing and long-term goal.

Presently, Lake Kissimmee affords anglers an ample opportunity to bag a limit of bass (including trophy-sized fish). Prospects are also bright for those seeking black crappie and bream (bluegill and shellcracker).

Keeping these auspicious fishing conditions at a high level is the FWC's bottom line.