Sponge Dog Swimming Adventure

The Sponge Dog will be making his first trip to the water Saturday Morning (early). I have done a (very) small amount of research and found that Lake Brittle is best suited for this initial outing. It is less than 20 miles from my house and seems to have the adequate facilities (a boat ramp) to accommodate the pooch. Sponge Dog is a 10-month-old 85 pound yellow lab. It seems like a crime that I have waited so long to get him into the water.

Some history and info on where we are headed:

Lake Brittle is a 77-acre impoundment located in Fauquier County. It was constructed in 1953 as a public fishing lake. It is one of the oldest Department-owned lakes and among the first to be built in Virginia with Dingell-Johnson funds. Dingell-Johnson funds are provided by a federal excise tax on fishing tackle. Lake Brittle is located just east of Warrenton and only thirty miles from the Beltway. It offers a peaceful setting, good fishing, picnicking for the family, and abundant nature for the wildlife enthusiast. The lake’s average depth is about seven feet, and it has a maximum depth of 25 feet near the spillway tower.

Lake Brittle supports a warmwater fish community including largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, black crappie and channel catfish. The lake has been stocked annually with walleye since 1979. Flathead catfish were stocked in 1990 and 1994 to control the abundant sunfish population and undesirable species such as brown bullhead and gizzard shad, which managed to proliferate to produce large populations.

The 77-acre Lake Brittle, on South Run, has a good red-ear population with fish weighing close to half a pound. It also has a strong Walleye and channel catfish population. Lake Brittle has a boat ramp and fishing pier. There is a concession stand which provides rental boats, electric motors, bait, tackle, beverages and snacks. Swimming and camping are prohibited.

The management objective of Lake Brittle is to increase panfish population structure and average weight while maintaining the largemouth bass fishery. The balance of the fishery is based on the predation of stunted sunfish and gizzard shad by catfish, largemouth bass and walleye. It will be necessary to maintain high predator numbers to sufficiently control overpopulation of the lake with stunted, slow growing sunfish.

Fauquier County Parks and Recreation Department and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries have entered into a contract to make FCPRD the concessionaire at this beautiful facility. Now that the concession stand is open, the public is able to rent boats and purchase fishing supplies and snacks. The public can hike, picnic, or fish. The lake is open to the public 7 days a week, 24 hours per day.

Lake Brittle is located just to the southeast of New Baltimore off of Route 29/Route 15. Signs for Lake Brittle will be seen as you reach the Route 600 intersection. Take Route 600 east to Route 793. Route 793 will take you to the lake.