The "private" status of Lake St. Louis is something that I have wondered about for some time. The reason I say this is that the lake is actually considered "waters of the state" because is it was created by impounding a flowing, navigatable stream. Here is a link from an MDC report stating this fact. http://lslangler.com/images/pdf/mdocbig07.pdf It is on page two under largemouth bass. This report also states that Lake Saint Louis fishing regulations can not be legally enfored due to the waters of the state issue.
From my understanding, the lake is also patroled by Missouri Water Patrol. Unless this is a service which is paid for by Lake Saint Louis revenues, I would guess that funding would be coming from the general Missouri Water Patrol resources (our taxes).
My question is, if Lake Saint Louis is considered waters of the state and my taxes are paying for Missouri Water Patrol to oversee it, is it actually private? Or is the "private" issue only a matter of appearance in the same way that the size/bag limits are not legally enforceable?
I have tried searching for a what the ramifications of being labeled "waters of the state" are and have not had any luck. Maybe I will give the MDC and Missouri Water Patrol a call and see if I can get more info. If anyone knows, I would appreciate any answers or opinions.
Nathan
