05-02-2025
Kentucky Christmas trees repurposed into fish habitats by Fish and Wildlife
MUHLENBERG COUNTY, Ky. (WEHT) — The Christmas season is over for humans, but not for fishes. In Muhlenberg County, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife carried out its Christmas for Fishes program. In January, real Christmas trees were collected at the Grimes Avenue Transfer station in Owensboro.
It's an unexpected pair: Lake Malone and Christmas Trees. Spencer Phillips, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife's Fish Habitat Biologist, says the evergreens are perfect for fish to feed, reproduce and live in.
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'You get something out of what would just be trash,' says Phillips.
350 Christmas trees were loaded onto a boat on Tuesday, before sending them crashing into the lake's water.
'Putting these into the lake…they'll slowly decay still. While they're decaying, they grow other stuff on them that help attract smart fish such as largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie to them as well for anglers to target,' says Phillips.
The Muhlenberg County lake undergoes fish sampling every year, but haven't gotten as much attention when it comes to habitat investments. Stacks of around 70 trees were transported to areas based on a creel study. The study draws from fishing lover's feedback.
'A lot of the guys wanted structure on the cliff walls for those crappie [fish]. So, we're adding these Christmas trees. We're going to come back with gas pipe trees that have bigger branches,' says Maddy Ruble, the Assistant Fisheries Biologist for Northwestern Fisheries District.
With the push of a button, the stack of trees are dropped down in one swoop and then marked with a floating GPS tracker.
'We know that fish like height. We are kind of focusing this habitat a little bit more towards the crappie today. So, they typically like about 15 to 20 feet of depth,' says Ruble.
Phillips says areas with evergreen donations see 500% more fish than areas without the tree drop-offs.
GPS coordinates are shared on the fish and wildlife website for fishing lovers looking to increase their luck.
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