From staff reports

Discarded Christmas trees can be placed in West Point Lake as fish attractors.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, West Point Project Management Office says fishermen have anchored these discarded trees in strategic locations in the lake to provide cover for fish for years. Then, when the weather improves in the spring, they return to try their luck fishing around last year’s Christmas trees.

Officials said no special permit is necessary to place a few Christmas trees in the lake but they offered theseguidelines

n Use a suitable anchoring system to prevent the trees from floating away or moving around. A cement block will work well as an anchor for one or two trees, but it must be securely fastened to the tree using nylon twine or a similar material.

n Don’t place trees where they could become safety hazards to boaters or swimmers. For example, trees should not be placed near boat launching ramps, in shallow boat traffic channels or at swimming beaches.

n Trees will attract more fish if they are placed in deeper water, 15 to 20 feet deep, and in an area where the water depth changes significantly, such as near an underwater ridge or hump. Fish tend to use this type of area throughout the year.

Anglers who wish to install large numbers of trees or other types of structure for fishing reefs should call the West Point Project Management Office at (706) 645-2937.