BART, Students Work to Rebuild Panbowl

Students from Breathitt High School, Jackson City School, and area homeschoolers gathered on Monday, May 18 to help a local organization take the next step in the “rebuilding” of Panbowl Lake.

Representatives from the Breathitt Area Rivers and Trails organization and officials from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife joined the students to deploy fish cover and attractants at several locations around the lake.

The teams built and deployed a mix of natural and artificial structures, including several Christmas trees, to enhance the lake’s underwater cover for smaller baitfish.

Jason Russell, a biologist with the KDFW, told the students that the design of the fish trees would catch sediment and promote age growth on the long blades, which would in turn attract small fish.

Russell and biologist Emily Watling ferried students and BART members to various sites on the lake to drop the artificial fish attractants into the water at locations chosen by the students. 

According to BART officials, the artificial fish habitat was purchased from American Fish Trees in Chattanooga at a discount after the owner decided to close his business following damage from Hurricane Helene in 2024.

Funds for the project were received from the Center for Rural Development and were part of a long-range plan to restore Panbowl Lake.

“At one time, Panbowl was one of the best-known lakes in Kentucky,” BART Member Greg Haddix said.  He told those gathered at the Lakeside event that the lake was once known for trophy largemouth, but noted that natural changes, including sediment deposits and a heavy presence of invasive weeds, had impacted the growth of trophy fish.

BART and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife developed a plan to restore and rebuild the lake, and Haddix said the fish cover was a part of that effort.

The majority of the invasive grass that clogged the lake died after safe chemical treatment last year.  To ensure the unwanted plants did not return, 42 grass carp were released into the lake to complete the removal.

BART officials said the chemical was effective and the plants were removed, but the process left the lake without cover for small fish. The work session on Monday was an effort to restore some habitat to the lake.

“What we found was that there were lots of fish in the lake, but they were all small,” Haddix said.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife removed more than 3,000 small bass from Panbowl to help promote fish growth and development. 

BART members said a new fish cleaning station, restrooms, fishing docks, and lake access were already funded through several grants.

“We have the grant to build,” Haddix said as he smiled.  “Sometimes you have to wait when you work with the government.” 

The current Board of Directors for the Breathitt Area Rivers and Trails group is J. B. Morgan, Gregory W. Haddix, Tim Spencer, and Jarrod Morgan.

BART was incorporated in 2023 by a group of like-minded individuals interested in developing, building, and promoting natural tourist opportunities in Breathitt County.

The group said that additional work was planned for the Panbowl Lake area.

Students from Breathitt High School and Jackson City School, along with several homeschool students and BART members, helped place fish habitat in Panbowl Lake on Monday.