Fishing Jetty

A fishing jetty is a short protrusion of land extending into a pond or lake. Access to deeper water and better fishing is easier from a fishing jetty. Fishing jetties are generally constructed where the slope of the pond’s bottom from the bank to deep water is gradual. Attempting to fish in deeper water without a fishing jetty requires longer casting and reeling lines through shallow water choked with aquatic plants.

Materials

A typical fishing jetty cross section is shown above (click to enlarge). Jetties are made of three components: base rock, clay backfill and surface course. Base rock is typically large pieces of limestone taken from a quarry prior to processing. These stones vary in size but are often 2 feet or larger in dimension. The clay layer is placed as a cap over the large limestone. The surface layer is either topsoil for turf areas or crushed limestone for high traffic areas.

Construction

Truck loads of large limestone are dumped on the bank at the jetty’s location. A bulldozer pushes the limestone into the water creating a short dike. The bulldozer continues to push the rock until the rock is above the water’s elevation and extends into the water the desired distance. On top of the rock, a layer of clay is placed. This material caps the rock layer and provides a stable top to the fishing jetty. The surface course is placed on top of the clay layer.

Assistance

Operators of the local limestone quarry can easily assist in the design and construction of a fishing jetty