A new handicapped-accessible boat dock will be built at Lake Junaluska this spring thanks to the efforts of an avid Haywood County fisherman and the North Carolina Wildlife Commission.

The dock will be located at Fulbright Park, a popular fishing spot on the west side of Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center just inside the main entrance, across from the Bethea Welcome Center.

The 40-foot dock will be built by the state Wildlife Commission and paid for with boat registration fees, said John Macemore, the commission’s mountain region boating supervisor.

Work on the dock will start in April once the lake’s water levels are back up following a winter drawdown to perform clean-up and silt removal.

“This is great news,” said Tyree Kiser, a 62-year-old retired Haywood County educator, who requested the dock from the state Wildlife Commission. “Lake Junaluska is full of catchable fish and is a great lake to teach young people how to fish.”

Lake Junaluska is open for fishing from dawn to dusk. There is no charge to fish at the lake, but all state fishing regulations apply.