This weekend will be the last chance this winter to land a big one at Pike County Lake.

The lake will be open from sunup until sundown Friday through Sunday and Heidi Henderson, lake manager, said fishing should be good.

"With the weather warming up, this weekend will be a great time to go fishing," she said. "We had planned to keep the lake open through the winter to see how much interest there is in winter fishing. But, if a cold front hasn't come through on the weekends, it has rained. People just haven't come out like we had hoped. If the weather had cooperated, I think there would have been more interest because a lot of people had expressed an interest in winter fishing."

Contrary to some thinking, the winter actually can be a good time to fish.

"Often, cold, gray days are good days for fishing," Henderson said. "For some reason, the fish bite on days like that."

So does Jack Frost and, evidently, people in and around Pike County don't like him nipping at their nose and toes.

Down here, it seems people would rather stay home with their feet close to the fire, Henderson said. "So, we decided to go ahead and close the lake after this weekend. We'll reopen in February."

If people ever get hooked on winter fishing, Henderson said she would be willing to keep the lake open to serve them. Until then, the gates will be closed for the winter months.

Henderson is hopeful of a good "last chance" fishing weekend at Pike County Lake Friday through Sunday.

The fee for a day is $2.50, except for seniors and children who fish for free.