Dargan's Pond, a state Public Fishing Lake in Darlington County, reopened to fishing on Wednesday, April 2 after being closed for nearly two years to repair a leaking spillway, according to S.C. Department of Natural Resources officials.

        Dargan's Pond is a 50-acre fishing lake located in the Pee Dee Research and Education Center near Darlington. It offers fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill and shellcracker on Wednesdays and Saturdays through Sept. 30. The lake is seasonally open between April 1 and Sept. 30. Lake regulations are posted on site.

        Dargan's Pond is part of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' Public Fishing Lakes program, designed to provide fishing to the public in areas of the state where the opportunity is lacking or where there are few public fishing lakes. This program provides more than 1,500 acres of public fishing lands to the anglers of South Carolina. These lakes provide anglers with opportunities for bank fishing, and with boat-launching facilities, fishing piers (some with barrier-free access) and picnic areas.

        The Sport Fish Restoration Program funds operations of the state's Public Fishing Lakes. The federal program follows the "user-pay" concept by providing revenue from an excise tax on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel.

        For more information on South Carolina's Public Fishing Lakes, write Public Fishing Lakes, DNR, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202 or call (803) 734-3891 in Columbia