Higher, more stable lake levels have meant more people have come out this summer to enjoy West Point Lake.

Rain and improved management by the Army Corps of Engineers have kept the lake at or near its full summer pool of 635 feet above mean sea level most of the season.

Local park rangers said the Fourth of July holiday saw some of the largest lake traffic in years and visitation is up 5.5 percent from last year so far in 2009.

“I’d be out here every day if I could,” said Sylvia Moreland of LaGrange, who was fishing on the banks of Sunny Point Park with friends this week.

Moreland said she’s been able to use the lake a lot more this year.

“I’ve been out here three or four times in the last two weeks,” she said. “The fishing is a lot better.”

According to the corps, visitation in June alone was up 19 percent over 2008 numbers. Even in January and February, attendance was up 9.1 and 3.3 percent, respectively.

Park attendants have kept busy this year registering campers and keeping an eye on campgrounds.

“There’s been a lot more people here swimming,” said Frankie Nelson, who was manning the gate at Pyne Road Park this week. “All the boaters have been well-pleased.”

Not only was the previous year’s lake attendance affected by long-term drought and low lake levels, local businesses suffered. The lake is a major economic engine for the area, bringing in customers to hotels and restaurants and other businesses and keeping bait shops busy. Many bait shops, in particular, suffered last year.

Jeffery Scott, owner of Hillcrest Bait and Tackle at Ware’s Cross Road, said business not only is good, but “the whole ecosystem is recharged,” on the lake.

“There’s deer out there that are having triplets,” he said. “There’s vegetation and turkeys. We’d like to thank the corps for keeping the lake full. We’ve had one of the best spawning seasons in ages and the bait fish are thriving.”

Jennifer Shrader may be reached at jshrader@ lagrangenews.com or at (706) 884-7311, Ext. 236.