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Battie Mixons Fishing Hole
Maryland Recreation Site
Oldtown was once a bustling C&O Canal supply center. The area from locks 68 through 71 has been restored and rewatered. A wooden covered canal bridge was located at lock 70. It was the scene of several Civil War engagements. At lock 71, a low concrete dam in the canal creates a four-mile fishing area near Oldtown. Constructed in 1945 by a volunteer group of western Maryland sportsmen, Battie Mixon's Fishing Hole (canal mile 168) is named after the Allegany County Game Warden who conceived of the idea. The fishing pond is well stocked with one pool reserved for children; it also has an annual fishing rodeo. The site is designated as a "put-and-take" trout fishing pond by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. In addition, no power boats are allowed on the pond. The Oldtown Fire Department, National Park Service, and the City of Cumberland Parks and Recreation Department sponsor an annual fishing day for children at the Battie Mixon hole. Picnic areas are nearby. Wildlife abounds in this near-wilderness stretch of the Potomac. Blackbirds, goldfinch, red-tailed hawk, great blue and green heron, belted kingfisher, turkey vulture, muskrat, and chipmunks are all prevalent.
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Contact Information
Cumberland Parks and Recreation Dept.
P.O. Box 1702
Cumberland MD 21501
301-789-6635
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