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Your Mark Twain Lake Vacation Spot!
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Fishing Report, Lake Conditions
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Date: 10/14/06 Lake Level : 602 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 60 - 64
Crappie fishing has been good. The crappie have pretty much made the transition to their fall pattern. They're mostly in the creek channels and flats, tight lining minnows or dead stick jigs with nibbles, or minnows with nibbles (or some other scent attractant works good). Bridge piers have been a hot spot. The best depths have been around 1/2 foot - 12 feet deep in the creeks, or 20 - 30 feet deep around the bridge piers. Nine inches has been an average size crappie lately.
Bass fishing has been fair.
Catfishing has been good. Blues and channels have been good on rod and reel using nightcrawlers. Trotliners have reported some flatheads and blues, using goldfish.
Date: 10/7/06 Lake Level : 602.2 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 70 - 75
Crappie fishing has been fair. The best areas have been around bridge piers, and trees. The best depths has been around 18 - 20 feet deep, dropping a minnow or jig all the way to the bottom and bringing it up a foot or two.
Bass fishing has been fair, it's been mostly shorts though.
Catfishing has been slow, with mostly channel cats being caught.
Haven't heard anything on white bass this week.
Date: 9/10/06 Lake Level : 602.2 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 76 - 80
Crappie fishing continues to be good, in a summer pattern. Most fisermen have been catching them at about 12 - 18 foot deep, over 20 - 25 feet of water. Fish the outside edges of trees, along bluffs, river channels and bridge piers. Minnows and or jigs.
Bass fishing continues to be good, mostly on plastics.
Catfishing has been fair. Blue cats have been biting good, some channels and a few flatheads.
The White Bass fishing has been slow.
Date: 8/26/06 Lake Level : 602.4 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 80 - 83
Crappie have been good. Holding 15 - 18 foot deep, over 20 - 25 feet of water. On the outside edges of trees, Minnows, jigs (yellow/chart).
Bass fishing has been good, using plastics.
Catfishing has been good. The better reports have come from rod and reel fishermen, using nightcrawlers or shad. The catfishing should continue to be good, with the 1-1/4 inch of rain that we got last night.
The White Bass fishing has been good. Using rooster tails, shad raps or silver spoons. Concentrate on areas of the lake where there are underwater humps, or long shallow points.
Date: 8/19/06 Lake Level : 602.6 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 82 - 85
Crappie have been good. Just outside of coves, holding 15 - 18 foot deep, over 20 - 25 feet of water. On the outside edges of trees, Minnows, minnows, minnows.
Bass fishing continues to be slow.
Catfishing has been good. The better reports have come from rod and reel fishermen, using nightcrawlers or shad. The catfishing should continue to be good, with the 1-1/4 inch of rain that we got last night.
The White Bass fishing has been good. Using rooster tails, shad raps or silver spoons. Concentrate on areas of the lake where there are underwater humps, or long shallow points.
Date: 8/5/06 Lake Level : 602.6 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 84 - 89
Crappie - Last weeks report still holds true. The lake continues to drop, it has dropped about 1.6 feet since last week. If fishing the main lake, the crappie have been around 10 - 12 feet deep. If fishing the creeks and further up the lake, they've been catching crappie about 4 - 8 feet down, in 10 - 15 feet of water. Some of the better catches have come from isolated trees, or the outer trees. Other areas to catch them are, large trees, clumps of trees, bridge piers. Minnows or jigs. Try trolling through the areas mentioned above. Fish a spot, catch a few and move on, don't linger in one place too long.
Bass fishing has been slow this week.
Catfishing continues to be slow.
The White Bass fishing has been fair. Using rooster tails, shad raps or silver spoons. Concentrate on areas of the lake where there are underwater humps, old road beds or long shallow points. Look for shad busting the water, throw a lure into it. Don't be surprised if you also happen to hook into a walleye or two.
Date: 7/29/06 Lake Level : 604.2 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 84 - 89
Crappie - It's pretty much the same report as last week, however with the lake dropping almost 5 feet in the last week the crappie have moved around some. It's been a very good summer pattern. If fishing the main lake, the crappie have been around 10 - 12 feet deep. If fishing the creeks and further up the lake, they've been catching crappie about 4 - 8 feet down, in 10 - 15 feet of water. Some of the better catches have come from isolated trees, or the outer trees. Other areas to catch them are, large trees, clumps of trees, bridge piers. Minnows or jigs. Try trolling through the areas mentioned above. Fish a spot, catch a few and move on, don't linger in one place too long.
Bass fishing has been fair this weekend. You can read about bass tournament results at the MAO web site. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the Mark Twain Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.
Catfishing has been slow.
The White Bass fishing continues to been good. Using rooster tails, shad raps or silver spoons. Concentrate on areas of the lake where there are underwater humps, old road beds or long shallow points. Look for shad busting the water, throw a lure into it. Don't be surprised if you also happen to hook into a walleye or two.
Date: 7/22/06 Lake Level : 609 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 80 - 85
Crappie - It's been a very good summer pattern. We've had some good reports on crappie this week. If fishing the main lake, the crappie have been around 10 - 12 feet deep. If fishing the creeks and further up the lake, they've been catching crappie about 4 - 8 feet down, in 10 - 15 feet of water. Some of the better catches have come from isolated trees, or the outer trees. Other areas to catch them are, large trees, clumps of trees, bridge piers. Minnows or jigs. Try trolling through the areas mentioned above. Fish a spot, catch a few and move on, don't linger in one place too long.
Bass fishing has been very good this weekend. Crank baits, jigs, plastic worms; biting on almost anything. You can read about bass tournament results at the MAO web site. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the Mark Twain Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.
Catfishing has been slow, although we had a few reports of some nice size flatheads caught on trotlines last weekend.
The White Bass fishing has been good. Using rooster tails, shad raps or silver spoons. Concentrate on areas of the lake where there are underwater humps, old road beds or long shallow points. Look for shad busting the water, throw a lure into it. Don't be surprised if you also happen to hook into a walleye or two.
Date: 7/13/06 Lake Level : 609 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 80 - 85
Crappie - Summer pattern. The reports are varying, some are reporting catching crappie 7 feet deep in 14 - 20 feet of water. Others said they were catching them in 14 feet of water near the bottom. Some of the better catches have come from isolated trees. If you can find isolated submerged trees, then you probably have found a good spot. Other areas to catch them are, large trees, clumps of trees, bridge piers. Minnows or jigs. Try trolling through the areas mentioned above. Don't stay in one place too long if you're only catching small crappie.
Bass fishing has been slower this week. A lot of bass are still being caught, but they been on the smaller size. You can read about bass tournament results at the MAO web site. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the Mark Twain Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.
Catfishing has been slow. It's mostly small channel cats being caught.
The White Bass fishing has been slower. Normally they've been caught using in-line spinner baits (like rooster tails), shad raps or silver spoons. Concentrate on areas of the lake where there are underwater humps, old road beds or long shallow points. Look for shad busting the water, throw a lure into it. Don't be surprised if you also happen to hook into a walleye or two.
Date: 7/6/06 Lake Level : 609.9 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 80 - 85
Crappie - Summer pattern. We have gotten several reports of better size crappie this week. The reports are varying, some are reporting catching crappie 7 feet deep in 14 feet of water. Others said they were catching them in 14 feet of water near the bottom. Some of the better catches have come from isolated trees. If you can find isolated submerged trees, then you probably have found a good spot. Other areas to catch them are, large trees, clumps of trees, bridge piers. Minnows or jigs. Try trolling through the areas mentioned above. Don't stay in one place too long if you're not catching anything.
Bass fishing has been slower this week. A lot of bass are still being caught, but they been on the smaller size. You can read about bass tournament results at the MAO web site. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the Mark Twain Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.
Catfishing has been slow. It's mostly small channel cats being caught.
The White Bass fishing has been slower. Normally they've been caught using in-line spinner baits (like rooster tails), shad raps or silver spoons. Concentrate on areas of the lake where there are underwater humps, old road beds or long shallow points. Look for shad busting the water, throw a lure into it. Don't be surprised if you also happen to hook into a walleye or two.
Date: 6/30/06 Lake Level : 610.8 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Dingy - Clear Surface Water Temp: 80 - 75
Have a fun and safe Fourth of July Holiday!
The lake is about 4.8 feet over normal, dingy in the upper branches, clearer in the lower lake.
Crappie - Summer pattern. On the edge of deeper water, about 12 - 18 feet deep. Large trees, clumps of trees, bridge piers. If you can find isolated submerged trees, then you probably have found a good spot. Minnows or jigs. Try trolling through the areas mentioned above. Don't stay in one place too long, if you're not catching anything.
Bass fishing has been slower this week. A lot of bass are still being caught, but they been on the smaller size. You can read about bass tournament results at the MAO web site. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the Mark Twain Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.
Catfishing has been tougher. It's been slow and the catfish being caught have been mostly channels and small.
The White Bass fishing has been very good, using in-line spinner baits (like rooster tails), shad raps or silver spoons. Concentrate on areas of the lake where there are underwater humps, old road beds or long shallow points. Look for shad busting the water, throw a lure into it and get ready for action. Don't be surprised if you also happen to hook into a walleye or two.
Date: 6/23/06 Lake Level : 612 (Click here for the most current lake level) Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Muddy - Dingy - Clear Surface Water Temp: 79 - 80
The lake is about 6 feet over normal, muddy in the upper branches, clearer in the lower lake.
Crappie - The crappie have pretty much settled into a summer pattern. On the edge of deeper water, about 12 - 18 feet deep. Large trees, clumps of trees, bridge piers. Minnows or jigs, perhaps trolling the areas mentioned above. Don't stay in one place too long, if you're not catching any crappie.
Bass fishing continues to be good. A lot of bass are being caught, several keeper size and better. You can read about bass tournament results at the MAO web site. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the Mark Twain Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.
Catfish has been very good. The flowing streams had the catfish in a feeding frenzy, with a lot of channels being caught near run offs and in the creeks. Large flatheads and blues are being caught on set lines.
The White Bass continue to be excellent, most have been small, but some bigger ones are being caught, using in-line spinner baits (like rooster tails), shad raps or silver spoons. Concentrate on areas of the lake where there are underwater humps, old road beds or long shallow points. Look for shad busting the water, throw a lure into it and get ready for action. Don't be surprised if you hook into a walleye or two, while going after the whites.
Date: 6/09/06 Lake Level : 606.6 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Dingy - Clear Surface Water Temp: 78 - 82
We finally got some rain last week, about 4 inches last Thursday. It pushed the lake up, a little over 2 feet. The water condition is dingy in the upper reaches to clearer in the mid to lower lake.
Crappie - The crappie this week have been slow. Mostly small ones. It's in that transition period to a summer pattern. All points between spawning coves and summer hang outs should be a place to fish, following river and creek channels between the 2 places. Minnows or jigs, perhaps trolling the areas mentioned above. Don't stay in one place too long, if you're not catching any crappie.
Bass fishing has been good. The water is now up in the grass and weeds. A lot of bass are being caught, several keeper size and better. You can read about bass tournament results at the MAO web site. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the Mark Twain Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.
Catfish - Catfishing has been very good. The flowing streams had the catfish in a feeding frenzy, with a lot of channels being caught near run offs and in the creeks. Large flatheads and blues are being caught on set lines.
The White Bass have been excellent, most have been small, but some bigger ones are being caught, using in-line spinner baits (like rooster tails), shad raps or silver spoons. Concentrate on areas of the lake where there are underwater humps, old road beds or long shallow points. Look for shad busting the water, throw a lure into it and get ready for action. Don't be surprised if you hook into a walleye or two, while going after the whites.
Date: 5/31/06 Lake Level : 604.3 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 69 - 74
The water condition is good, that's the good side of not getting much rain. Unfortunately we need the rain more than we need clear water.
Crappie - The crappie have been very good, last weekend there were more reports of good size crappie than we have been receiving lately. The crappie have pretty much spawned out, that's not to say there aren't still some spawning. There have been several reports of skinny females caught in coves. The locations are varied, as mentioned some have been caught in the coves, they have also been caught off of points near cove entrances, and near bluffs. It shouldn't be too long before we are getting reports of crappie being caught near bridge piers and large trees, in a summer pattern. The depths have varied as well, anywhere from 2 feet - 12 feet deep. Minnows or jigs.
Bass fishing has been good. A lot of bass are being caught, several keeper size and better. Rocky banks and standing timber. Spinner baits, jigs or plastic baits have been productive. You can read about bass tournament results at the MAO web site. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the Mark Twain Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.
Catfish - Catfishing has been very good. Goldfish and perch for set lines and nightcrawlers for rod and reel fishermen.
The White Bass have been excellent, most have been small, but they have been catching them in large numbers, using in-line spinner baits (like rooster tails), shad raps or silver spoons. Concentrate on areas of the lake where there are underwater humps, old road beds or long shallow points. Look for shad busting the water, throw a lure into it and get ready for action.
Date: 5/19/06 Lake Level : 604.3 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Dingy - Clear Surface Water Temp: 64 - 68 - depending on time of day and depth of water.
The water condition is dingy to lightly stained in the upper reaches to clear near the dam. Turkey season is over.
Crappie - The crappie have been biting all through the recent cold spells, they've just been pretty much on the small side. With the warmer temperatures the past couple of days we've been getting reports of better size crappie in the coves again. Most areas of the lake have been productive. Keep on the move and work the coves and cutouts that provide good cover. Minnows first, jigs second.
Bass fishing has been good. A lot of bass are being caught, several keeper size and better. Rocky banks and standing timber. Spinner baits, jigs or plastic baits have been productive. You can read about bass tournament results at the MAO web site. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the Mark Twain Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.
Catfish - Catfishing has been very good, perhaps a slight downgrade from last week. Goldfish and perch for set lines and nightcrawlers for rod and reel fishermen.
Date: 5/11/06 Lake Level : 604.4 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Dingy - Clear Surface Water Temp: 64 - 68 - depending on time of day and depth of water.
The water condition is dingy to lightly stained in the upper reaches to clear near the dam. Turkey season is underway, caution should be used if out in the woods looking for mushrooms or whatever.
Crappie - Crappie continue to bite. Smaller crappie are being caught closer to the banks, with the larger crappie being caught off the banks and deeper. Some of the better crappie have been caught just outside of coves around structure, laydowns and stumps in particular, near deep water dropoffs and channels. We've been getting more reports of females being caught. Most areas of the lake have been productive. Most colors of jigs (Road Runners in particular), tipping with crappie nibbles or minnows is helpful. Minnows have been good as well. Some coves with lots of cover can be very productive by beaching your boat and walking the shore line. Keep on the move and work the coves and cutouts that provide good cover. Last weeks CrappieMasters tournament took 6.3 lbs to win. We also held the CrappieMasters Kids Fishing Rodeo out of our pond, as usual it was a lot of fun as kids caught and released fish, ate hot dogs and received prizes. Check out the kids pictures here.
Bass fishing continues to be good. A lot of bass are being caught, several keeper size and better. Shallow water, near steep rocky banks. Spinner baits and jigs continue to be the best lures. You can read about bass tournament results at the MAO web site.
Catfish - Catfishing has been excellent, with several good size flatheads and blues being caught. A lot of large flatheads and blues have been caught on set lines, using goldfish or perch. As far as biat goes, it tie between goldfish and perch. Nightcrawlers, shad sides and hot dogs and also been working.
Date: 4/23/06 Lake Level : 602.7 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Dingy - Clear Surface Water Temp: 58 - 65 depending on time of day and depth of water.
We're continuing to get good reports on just about everything; crappie, bass, catfish, white bass, and even one heck of a nice 8 lb. walleye. The water condition is dingy to lightly stained in the upper reaches to clear near the dam. Morel mushrooms are slowly popping up and the turkeys are gobbling up a storm. Monday marks opening day of the 2006 Spring Turkey Season.
Crappie - A lot of limits of good size crappie averaging 9 - 11 inches have been caught this past week. It has been mostly males, with a few females here and there. Most areas of the lake have been productive. Coves off of channels have been the best areas to fish. A lot of the crappie have been caught very near the bank or back off of the banks anywhere from 5 - 10 feet and about 5 - 8 feet deep. Most colors of jigs (Road Runners in particular), tipping with crappie nibbles or minnows is helpful. Minnows have been good as well. Some coves with lots of cover can be very productive by beaching your boat and walking the shore line. Keep on the move and work the coves and cutouts that provide good cover.
Bass fishing is very good. A lot of bass are being caught, several keeper size and better have been caught next to the bank. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the Mark Twain Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.
Catfish - We have perch and goldfish for sale in the store. Catfishing is still very good, with reports of good size flatheads and blues on set lines, and channel cats on rod and reel. Perch, gold fish, nightcrawlers.
Date: 4/16/06 Lake Level : 603 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Dingy - Clear Surface Water Temp: 58 - 65 depending on time of day and depth of water.
The water is warming up very nicely and the fishes natural instinct to spawn is kicking in. We're getting good reports on just about everything, crappie, bass, catfish, white bass. The water condition is dingy to lightly stained in the upper reaches to clear near the dam. Morel mushrooms are popping up and the turkeys are gobbling up a storm. It's prime time folks and it's just beginning.
Crappie - Pre-spawn pattern, males are on the banks making a nest for the larger females which are in deeper water just off spawning banks. Most fishermen are reporting good catches anywhere from 6 inches to 3 feet deep next to the banks. Some reports have them at 5 feet out and five feet down. Almost any color jig, or minnows. Keep on the move and work the coves and cutouts with good cover. Most areas of the lake are producing.
Bass fishing is very good. A lot of bass are being caught, several next to the bank and keeper size and better. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the Mark Twain Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.
Catfish - Very good on set lines and rod and reels. Gold fish, perch or nightcrawlers.
Date: 4/6/06 Lake Level : 603 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Muddy - Clear Surface Water Temp: 50 - 55
The lake has risen 1.2 feet since our last report. The water temps have been around 50 degrees, with reports of 55 degrees in the upper reaches. Most boat ramps have at least one walkway in place and they may have both walkways in place by this weekend. The water condition is dingy in the upper reaches to clear near the dam. Before making your first excursion of the year, be sure to give your boat a thorough check to make sure it is in good shape. A dead battery or gummed up fuel lines are a couple of the most common problems.
Crappie - Most reports have been very slow for crappie. Early spring crappie fishing usually favors the northern branches and mid to lower creeks. Sandy, Shell and Lick Creeks and Pigeon Roost are a few early season hot spots. Look for south facing banks that get good day long sunshine, with good heat gathering objects, such as large trees and rocky banks. Bridge piers gather warmth and could be worth trying. As for bait, minnows or jigs tipped with minnows or crappie nibbles are best. Black/Chartreuse tube jigs are usually the most popular color combo. As always, be patient and don't give up too soon, however don't spend all day in one spot, keep on the move if the crappie are not cooperating.
Bass - Very slow. The preliminary list for this years Bud-Lite tournament is now available on the MAO web site.
Catfish - Very slow. Warm sunny days, along with the warm winds and rain will rapidly heat shallow areas of the lake. Look for wind blown shallow banks, the warmer water and food gathers there. Catfish love these conditions, moving out of the deeper, colder areas of the lake to feed themselves. If you don't have any bites for about 30 minutes, try a different area. Shad sides are an excellent choice under these conditions, the smellier the better.
The Corp of Engineers has redesigned their water charts, and the following link is particularly helpful because it includes all the charts for the Mark Twain Lake project. It includes all the tributaries of the Salt River Basin that feed Mark Twain lake, the Inflow link is a graph that displays all the streams overlayed together, and graphically shows which ones have the most waterflow.
Most fishermen plan their first trip of the year around the crappie spawn. However the past couple of years have seen good runs of white bass as they head upstream to spawn, and perhaps this could be a good reason to get out of the house earlier than normal. White bass are usually the first to kick off the spring fishing season when they get the spawning urge from about mid-March to mid-April. White bass inhabit Mark Twain Lake and have spring spawning runs up its tributary streams. The South Fork, Elk Fork and Middle Fork branches have seen particularly good runs. Male white bass migrate upstream in large schools to shallower water with rocky or sandy bottoms, followed shortly by schools of females. Spawning occurs in moving water over gravel shoals or a hard bottom. Look for shallow water (riffles) with rock shelves or rocky banks to help find likely spawn areas. Large females may lay as many as half a million eggs that stick to rocks and gravel. After spawning, they abandon their eggs and provide no care. Fry hatch in only two to three days and may grow eight or nine inches during the first year. The usual white bass lures can be used throughout the year, for the spawn or post spawn. Good lures include spinners (including beetle spins), rattle traps, and spoons, including the hammered metal spoons. White bass mainly eat shad so your baits should imitate them in color (white, silver or silver and black). Turkey Hunters - The Youth Spring Turkey Hunting Season is this weekend, April 8th and 9th. The youth hunter must be a Missouri resident and age 15 or younger on season opening day. See the Missouri Dept of Conservation web site for more details, such as valid permits, limits and restrictions. The turkey hunting prospects are excellent for this spring, get your kid, nephew, granddaughter or whoever out and teach them how to carry on your turkey hunting tradition. Every year we are fortunate to share in some excited youths first turkey hunt. Granted it's a small part, however it's part of what makes running this type of business enjoyable.
The water level of Mark Twain Lake has been at a very low level for a while, this is an excellent opportunity to locate good structure, drop offs and river channels. For example, tree tops that are just above the surface now will be hidden spots holding crappie when the water is at or above normal pool. This is the time to find those hidden spots that help make a successful fishing trip. Another advantage, as anybody that has boated Mark Twain knows, is that the river channels are much easier to find and follow than when the lake is higher. The upper reaches of any of the branches can be very challenging to navigate through the trees. A GPS unit, map or even a video camera are good methods to mark these locations and routes for later reference.
Date: 3/5/06 Lake Level : 599.5 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Surface Water Temp: 38
The lake is ice free. The courtesy walkways have been pulled from the ramps.
The Corp of Engineers is looking for volunteers to help place Christmas trees in the lake on March 11. If anyone is interested, especially someone with a large jon boat or pontoon, call Allen at the COE. 573-735-4097 Fishermen take note, this is an opportunity to help the fishery at Mark Twain and to gain an edge in knowing where some of the hidden spots are.
Monroe County Conservation Agent Bob Lyons has written a new article for the Conservation Corner. It deals mostly with some of the fishing regulation changes that went into affect this year. Click here to view it. One wildlife code change that I would like to highlight deals with the limit on blue catfish. The change is statewide, however since blue catfish are caught on a regular basis at Mark Twain, fishermen need to be aware of it - As part of the Department’s statewide catfish management plan, the daily limit on blue catfish has been reduced to five to allow more of this long-lived species to reach large sizes as they once did in Missouri. Increased encounters with large catfish for anglers is one of the goals. A more thorough list of changes can be viewed at the Missouri Conservationist Magazine Online site.
The 2006 fishing prospects report for Mark Twain Lake is now available, click here to view it. This report is put together by the lake's Fisheries Management Biologist, Ross Dames of the Missouri Department of Conservation, and is based on actual lake surveys conducted during 2005.
The article below came from a Missouri Department of Conservation New Release. By far, most people care enough to not litter, unfortunately every year we do see trash carelessly left behind on the banks of Mark Twain, or on the surrounding lands. Everybody that enjoys and uses the lake should pack out what they pack in. If that is not enough incentive there is also the added risk of losing hunting and fishing privileges. Read on.
Litterbugs risk
hunting, fishing privilege suspension
The water level of Mark Twain Lake has been at a very low level for a while, this is an excellent opportunity to locate good structure, drop offs and river channels. For example, tree tops that are just above the surface now will be hidden spots holding crappie when the water is at or above normal pool. This is the time to find those hidden spots that help make a successful fishing trip. Another advantage, as anybody that has boated Mark Twain knows, is that the river channels are much easier to find and follow than when the lake is higher. The upper reaches of any of the branches can be very challenging to navigate through the trees. A GPS unit, map or even a video camera are good methods to mark these locations and routes for later reference.
The Missouri State Water Patrol offers advice for cold weather boaters, click here for more info.
Most of the fishing report info, provided throughout the year, comes from fishermen that know how to share good info without giving away their own secrets. To those fishermen, we would like to say thank you and keep the reports coming.
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