I Caught Catfish At Springfield Lake!

[bigredbirdfan]

The fish are fine to eat. CU tests the water more than you can believe.

Where do they post those results?

[zander]

I am not sure where or if they post them but every other time I go back behind the dam fishing, there will be a CU guy come down there with instruments and testing kits. It is a legal requirement for them to monitor the water. I've spoken to the guys many times and they all say the water is fine. I can think of a lot more questionable things people eat on a daily basis.

[brianbarker]

I can probably come closer to telling you whats in the water at Lake Springfield than whats in those McDonalds cheeseburgers everyone eats every day. I hardly keep anything to eat but I have been told by MDC agents down there that they are perfectly fine to eat.

[bigredbirdfan]

Good to know all of that weed killer and fertilizer my neighbor puts on his yard every other weekend doesn't get from Pearson Creek to the testing guy at Springfield Lake.

[nathan RN]

that guy that goes down from the power plant to the tailwater access measures the disolved oxygen in the water. everyone always says it is ok to eat out of there but i have never ate anything from there and probably never will i give my fish away or just release them. i went today and caught a 14"crappie (very nice, like the ones in stockton) on a white road runner, also on same lure i caught a 1.5 lb small mouth and a small 10" catfish.

I also snagged (accident trust me) probably a 4 foot spoonbill that took all of my line before breaking off. fish are very thick right at darn water level is good. the 3rd ad 4th pier south of the cliff is where i caught my fish. fun couple of hours. good luck

nathan

[Whodat]

redbirdfan,I think one of my buddies caught the clap at Springfield Lake once!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[zander]

I do not want to make it seem as if I am willing to swim in a toxic waste area, but we are talking about E. coli not heavy metal contamination or anything like that. E. coli is eveywhere and on everything albeit in differing quantities. I imagine the numbers were higher during that time period. The warmer waters will promote their growth. But unlike with mercury, cooking the fish solves the E. coli problem. If you guys saw me at work you would laugh your tails off because I have the biggest container of Germ-X on my desk and am kind of a germaphobe in general. I open doors with the cuff of my shirt or pinky finger, push buttons with my knuckles etc. But I'd eat a fish from Lake Springfield, as long as it is cooked. If you don't want to then don't.

[WebFreeman]

The water from L. Spfd goes right down the James to TRL and picks up a lot of stuff along the way.

[fisher19]

I agree with webfreeman the river picks a lot more chemicals i mean it goes by 2 golf courses and a lot more cattle farms and other things along the way down to tablerock and people still eat fish out of there. I dont see a problem with it as long as its cooked. IF you want to eat them than go ahead but if you don't then just let them go and don't worry about it.

[jdavis]

I have also been a little weary to eat fish from the James. I never keep the bass, but I may have to start eating some google-eye. We caught several 9" eyes last week.

As far as I now the real danger is the E coli which should not be a problem if cooked and eaten in moderation. Mercury levels are higher in freshwater predator fish, but again, if eaten in moderation is not a problem.