LINCOLN — The Brownlee Lake Association continued its tradition of planting fish in the lake located in the Village of Lincoln in an effort to improve the lake and to honor a lifelong resident of Lincoln.

Association President Jeff Wilson said this year’s planting took place May 26 with the stocking of 1,500 hybrid bluegill to the lake at a cost of $2,000.

He said the planting is to improve fishing in the lake but also to honor the late Kameron Sherwood who died in 2012 in an automobile accident while attending Western Michigan University. According to Wilson, one of Kameron’s favorite activities was fishing in Brownlee Lake.

Half of the cost of this year’s planting was donated by Kameron’s father, Kirk, who has been providing funds for the planting every year, Wilson said.

“Kameron was from Lincoln and they lived right here on the lake,” Wilson said. “At the funeral in lieu of flowers they asked that donations be given to the Brownlee Lake Association.”

Wilson said the association administered the donations to help stock fish in the lake and when the donations from the funeral were spent, Kirk Sherwood began giving $1,000 annually to the stocking efforts. Wilson said the association’s plan is to stock the lake yearly to keep fish populations up.

Whether the fish are increasing in the lake is unknown, Wilson said. He said there are some fish reproducing in the lake, however, as evidenced by baby fish swimming around.

“It’s hard to tell. I mean how do you determine that the fish that we’re stocking are reproducing?” he said. “I know some fish are reproducing because I see small bluegill by my dock.”

Association member Bill Putsky, who also is a Lincoln Village Council trustee, said during a Monday meeting he had talked to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources about doing a gill net study of the lake to see how fish populations are and how well the oxygenation system in the lake is working.

In recent years a system was introduced to bring air to the lake through a series of pipes in an effort to keep the lake from filling in through silt and to keep fish alive.

Fish stocking is not the only improvement this year to the lake.

Wilson said a boat launch on the lake will be improved through a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant.

“We were awarded $15,000 for the new launch,” he said, adding the project is through the village because of the location of the launch.

According to Wilson much of the projects done with the lake are paid for through dues by members of the association, although there also are other fundraising sources. June 22 the group will be holding a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament at Vista Lanes in Oscoda.

“We have a golf outing in August and we also have our annual boat parade,” Wilson said.

Jason Ogden can be reached via email at jogden@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Jason on Twitter @jo_alpenanews.