I just read on the DWR site that Salem Pond in Salem is only open from 10 am to 10 pm. I assumed that was just a reference to the park area but I don’t want to get a citation for no reason. Anybody know if that applies to fishing period or just to access to the park?
It is a grey area, but here is the best I can give, the park hours are as posted, if you are already there chances are no one will bother you or possibly just ask you to leave.
I have fished it till late in the past and the cops didnt bother me. I guess they don want the certain people around the park doing bad things since there hardly is anyone there after dark. But 10 pm is kinda late to be fishing that little place i think.
My boys, age 5 and 7, and I are big on having a cat fish fry at least once a month if we can. Over the last 3 years, at one time or another, we have fished Salem at least once, for 2 to 3 hours after dark, during nearly every month in the year. We always catch fish, and often it is inside the park. During winter this puts us leaving before 10, but during late spring, summer, and early fall we have been there after 10 numerous times. We’ve had officers come and talk to us at least 3 times after 10 while they made their rounds around the park. Every time they just asked how the fishing was and told us they basically just don’t want teenagers, or people being loud in the park causing neighboring house owners to complain. They never asked us to leave, and were very nice to us since we were just fishing. However, i’ve not been there after dark and had an officer talk to me for over a year now and maybe they’ve had to crack down on it for one reason or another. I know at one time on the DWR fishing report of Salem they were stating that the park closed and 10 and there was also no fishing after 10. That only lasted a few months, and then they went back to just stating that the park closed at 10.
I was thinking more before 10 am than after 10 pm. I work late and have all morning to fish. I don’t see what the problem would be and I can’t find anything in the proclamation. Seems to be if it’s a rule it should either be posted around the pond, which I haven’t seen, and/or posted in the proc. Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate it.