The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has announced a partial drawdown of Hemlock Lake in Banks Township.
Work is expected to begin tomorrow, as a routine inspection turned up deficiencies in the concrete auxiliary spillway. The drawdown will allow that spillway to dry up and crews to begin repairs.
Weather permitting, the lake will lose about 3 feet of water over the next several weeks, and because of that, the PFBC is prohibiting walk-in ice fishing on Hemlock Lake, effective immediately. The east and west launch ramps will also remain closed.
It’s all part of a $3.5 million rehabilitation project at the lake, including the construction of a new, reinforced concrete auxiliary spillway and improvements to the dam’s earthen embankment to meet DEP dam safety standards.
The project is expected to begin in the summer of 2029 and last about 1.5 years.
