Should Money Be Spent On A Put-and-take Trout Lake?

[Chief Grey Bear]

We sampled the bass and bluegill populations in 2008 and 2009 in the lower end of the lake and found that approximately 50% of the largemouth bass we sampled were over 12 inches and 20% were over 15 inches. 40% of the bluegill we sampled were over 6 inches as well.

I'd say that's at least alittle better than "eeking".

Don't have the facts I can point at right now online but I will quote Clint Hale at our meeting a couple of weeks ago when he was asked what Taney's trout growth was per month and he said 1/2-inch.

And I don't have to mention we had a fairly big brown caught a couple of weeks ago.

Well two thoughts immediately come to mind. The sampling came from the lower end. Aren't there less trout in the lower end? Isn't the water a little warmer also?

Those numbers do look good but, I would like to see what the numbers of native fish are per acre. And how those numbers compare to other lakes? Other lakes of similar size? Those numbers just look to me to be a little funny. Numbers like that would look to rival some of the best bass lakes. I don't know just thinking out loud. I would tend to think that actually very few samples were found, as compared to lakes of similar size, but that few that were found, were of nice size. And then that makes me wonder what the age of the samples were? Were they young, large fish, meaning a fast growth rate? Or older fish with a slow growth rate? Are the growth rates the same as other lakes?

I won't disagree that as written those numbers look good. Hell they look amazing but, there are also a whole host of questions to go with them to get the real picture as to the health of that lake.

How many trout are there per acre of water? Per acre on the upper end?

BTW - don't Brown trout love to eat Rainbows?

[Phil Lilley]

powersite was first. then bull shoals then table rock.

Close...

Powersite

Table Rock

Bull Shoals

Beaver

All but Powersite is cold water discharge.

[Phil Lilley]

Well two thoughts immediately come to mind. The sampling came from the lower end. Aren't there less trout in the lower end? Isn't the water a little warmer also?

Yes it's warmer. That's why Taney is one of the best of both worlds... cold and warm water.

Those numbers do look good but, I would like to see what the numbers of native fish are per acre. And how those numbers compare to other lakes? Other lakes of similar size? Those numbers just look to me to be a little funny. Numbers like that would look to rival some of the best bass lakes. I don't know just thinking out loud. I would tend to think that actually very few samples were found, as compared to lakes of similar size, but that few that were found, were of nice size. And then that makes me wonder what the age of the samples were? Were they young, large fish, meaning a fast growth rate? Or older fish with a slow growth rate? Are the growth rates the same as other lakes?

Exactly. If you look back, people have mentioned for years Taney is a well kept secret. One if not the best for trophy bass. The flood of 08 did some damage but they will come back strong. I've seen bass in some of the creeks here, schools of them between 5 and 12 pounds. You heard me... 12 pounds. Pigs! I couldn't believe me eyes. This was probably 12 years ago though and haven't seen it since. They were in pre spawn and staging in fallen trees close to gravel banks. And no, they wouldn't even look at what I threw.

Taney has always been known for it's big blue gill, always.

I'll try to get the full report. Like I said, I didn't know they shocked on the lower end till now.

I won't disagree that as written those numbers look good. Hell they look amazing but, there are also a whole host of questions to go with them to get the real picture as to the health of that lake.

How many trout are there per acre of water?

Per acre on the upper end? I have trout studies posted for the last 20 years here on the site. Not per acre though. MDC pretty much puts all their reports in the same format, fish collected per hour.

BTW - don't Brown trout love to eat Rainbows?

Oh yes. So do big bass.

[Phil Lilley]

They don't shock for trout on the lower end though. They go down as far as Short Creek for trout. Water gets too deep to get much below there.

[Wayne SW/MO]

No, it was BS and then TR, Beaver was last. BS is almost 10 years older.

Well two thoughts immediately come to mind. The sampling came from the lower end. Aren't there less trout in the lower end? Isn't the water a little warmer also?

Chief there isn't a lot of difference normally in the temperature, but I believe its more stable the farther east you go. There's also more cover and creek inputs to offer some warmer areas. The east end doesn't get the fish the west end gets either.

[Phil Lilley]

Man, Wayne... I've been telling people wrong all along. I thought BS Dam was built about the same time as Beaver.

My bad!!!

[Tightline]

Wayne,just wondering, how do you know the west end gets more Trout than the east?

Does Mdc make public how many they dump where?

I've been at Empire right after a load was dumped,it makes you feel like the

( Supreme Being ) of Trout fishing.

Oh yea.I think money should be spent on Taney,I like to fish for just about everything and chasing those fish tank Trout is alot of fun.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Yes it's warmer. That's why Taney is one of the best of both worlds... cold and warm water.

Exactly. If you look back, people have mentioned for years Taney is a well kept secret. One if not the best for trophy bass. The flood of 08 did some damage but they will come back strong. I've seen bass in some of the creeks here, schools of them between 5 and 12 pounds. You heard me... 12 pounds. Pigs! I couldn't believe me eyes. This was probably 12 years ago though and haven't seen it since. They were in pre spawn and staging in fallen trees close to gravel banks. And no, they wouldn't even look at what I threw.

Taney has always been known for it's big blue gill, always.

I'll try to get the full report. Like I said, I didn't know they shocked on the lower end till now.

Very interesting. I like what I am hearing.

No, it was BS and then TR, Beaver was last. BS is almost 10 years older.

Chief there isn't a lot of difference normally in the temperature, but I believe its more stable the farther east you go. There's also more cover and creek inputs to offer some warmer areas. The east end doesn't get the fish the west end gets either.

Now that surpises me. I would think that it would do a bit of warming. I am not doubting what you say, I am just a bit surpised.

[Phil Lilley]

Chief there isn't a lot of difference normally in the temperature, but I believe its more stable the farther east you go. There's also more cover and creek inputs to offer some warmer areas. The east end doesn't get the fish the west end gets either.

Wayne,

Don't you think it's seasonal? Winter, the water below the dam is actually warmer than down lake. Summer, it's colder below the dam. Other times it's close to being the same. When they generate non stop and heavy, it's the same except for inlets and coves where it will be either warmer or colder depending on season.

That's what makes the lower lake so puzzling to alot of anglers and why they won't fish it. Temp and current.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I guess what I was saying Phil was that during much of the year the changes in flow affect the west more than the east, or so it seems. There are exceptions that I can't give any accurate information on, but a heavy rain can turn the east muddy and that has to be warmer I would think.

I agree with what you say, but to me the problem with the lower lake is two fold, less trout stocked, and they are hard to find. I've seen the trucks dump and I don't belive they drop near as many downstream. I don't know that that is necessarily a bad thing, there is more pressure in the Branson area. I do think they dump the fish by guessing, that would be the reason they won't give out figures, they don't know.

Trout prefer current and that's hard to find the farther downstream you go. As the lake gets wider and the current more subtle I think it makes the fish that much harder to locate.