Holly Springs lake restored

$3 million park and retreat center is Holly Springs' 'crown jewel'

The orange cork bobbed at the end of Joseph Herndon's fishing rod. Maybe it was a small fish nipping at the line, or maybe it was the wind. Either way, it was all right with Herndon, as he sat earlier this week on the pier at Holly Springs' Bass Lake Park and Retreat Center.

"I hadn't planned on fishing today and only came because the kids wanted to do some fishing," Herndon said, nodding to his 11-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, who were casting and reeling. "But it's a beautiful day, and who wouldn't want to spend it fishing?"

A lifelong resident of the area, Herndon remembers when Bass Lake was a private pond. He remembers when there was no fancy pier. He remembers when there was no lake at all.

"When [Hurricane] Fran came through [in 1996], it tore a hole in that dam, and all the water and fish left the lake," Herndon said, casting his line back into the water. "It's pretty nice now. The fish are not biting today, but it's a nice lake. And there are some nice-size catfish in there."

Holly Springs officials cut the ribbon last month on a nearly $3 million town park project that included rebuilding the dam, putting a 1.25-mile trail around the lake and building a 1,500-square-foot retreat center.

"It would have been extremely difficult for the town to get a hold of this lake if it wasn't for Fran," said Scott Barnard, the park manager. "Fran was almost like a blessing to the town."

For several years, Bass Lake was a large swath of mud and weeds that had a single creek running through it.

It once belonged to James Harry Cornell; he bought the property in 1950 and turned it into a private fishing hole. Cornell, former chief of the state Wildlife Resources Commission's water fisheries division, handed the management of the land to the Nature Conservancy before his death in 1988.

Holly Springs bought the property from Cornell's trust in 1998 for $230,000. Grants and donations enabled the town to restore the dam and build the nature trail.

The town footed the bill for the $700,000 retreat center, which has large windows that allow the sun to look in on workshops and meetings. The center can be rented for meetings and receptions.

"This lake is huge for Holly Springs and its parks system," Barnard said. "This is the crown jewel."

The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. Canoes and johnboats, along with small motors, are available to rent. Since May, the lake has been stocked with more than 20,000 fish that include large-mouth bass, channel catfish and brim.

David Carter, Wake County's director of Parks, Recreation & Open Space, held his staff retreat at the facility Monday.

"The setting is absolutely magnificent," Carter said. He said he had to lure the 30 participants from the deck after lunch and back into the meeting room.

But Herndon's son and daughter, who are in year-round school and on break, didn't need a meeting room. It was all about fishing, even when the fish are not biting.

"I didn't catch anything," Treshon Rogers said. "But it was still fun."

"I caught a small one," Quinasia Holeman said, looking at her brother with a smile, "but we threw it back."

And almost in unison and with smiles, the two said, "But we'll be back."