Piranhas In Lake Of The Ozarks?!

[FishinJack]

The story is there has been a few caught over the years. They were let go by pet owners that don't want to kill their pet, but can't afford to own it any more.

I'd invent a monster before I devoted a show to piranhas in LOZ.

[zipstick]

I was on Lake O. last Monday whe a fellow fishing from a public dock caught a rainbow trout. Hope the trout haven't eaten all the piranhas. I'd like to catch one.

[laker67]

I was on Lake O. last Monday whe a fellow fishing from a public dock caught a rainbow trout. Hope the trout haven't eaten all the piranhas. I'd like to catch one.

Those trout come from trout dale up the gravois. They sometimes travel the lake during the winter and end up at tonka springs. I witnessed four caught one day from a crappie dock on the big niangua and have caught some at tonka springs on the cliff side. Maybe those piranhas will eat our river otters that thrive in the lake.

[fishinwrench]

If they came from Troutdale ranch they didn't escape from there in the last year or so. What part of the lake was the public dock at where the trout was caught, and how big was it ?

Tonka spring has some trout in it. Don't know whether they are reproducing or someone keeps putting them in there, but they are there. Everytime we walk the trails I look for them, and I can usually always spot one. I've never seen one over 10 inches in there though.

[laker67]

If they came from Troutdale ranch they didn't escape from there in the last year or so. What part of the lake was the public dock at where the trout was caught, and how big was it ?

Tonka spring has some trout in it. Don't know whether they are reproducing or someone keeps putting them in there, but they are there. Everytime we walk the trails I look for them, and I can usually always spot one. I've never seen one over 10 inches in there though.

Hi FW. The four trout were caught off of Ron Dennis's dock across the lake from Knotty pine. The time period would have been mid 80's, and around that same time period I caught the rainbows at tonka cove. Is troutdale closed? I have'nt been out there in years. In the late 70's, Mike Parker caught a six pound brown out of tonka springs. Mike, Jim McGowin, and myself caught several browns just prior to the state owning the property. We have no idea who released them in the upper spring. My guess would be Carl Herbert. When I was in high school, that area was a private trout stream named trout glenn. Good to hear from you again.

[zipstick]

Hi FW. The four trout were caught off of Ron Dennis's dock across the lake from Knotty pine. The time period would have been mid 80's, and around that same time period I caught the rainbows at tonka cove. Is troutdale closed? I have'nt been out there in years. In the late 70's, Mike Parker caught a six pound brown out of tonka springs. Mike, Jim McGowin, and myself caught several browns just prior to the state owning the property. We have no idea who released them in the upper spring. My guess would be Carl Herbert. When I was in high school, that area was a private trout stream named trout glenn. Good to hear from you again.

The trout was caught on the Big Niangua next to Larry Gale ramp from the public dock. It was caught last Thursday by a piranha fisherman (just kiiding about the piranhas, not the trout.)

[fishinwrench]

Hi FW. The four trout were caught off of Ron Dennis's dock across the lake from Knotty pine. The time period would have been mid 80's, and around that same time period I caught the rainbows at tonka cove. Is troutdale closed? I have'nt been out there in years. In the late 70's, Mike Parker caught a six pound brown out of tonka springs. Mike, Jim McGowin, and myself caught several browns just prior to the state owning the property. We have no idea who released them in the upper spring. My guess would be Carl Herbert. When I was in high school, that area was a private trout stream named trout glenn. Good to hear from you again.

That's interesting. Hard to say where the ones around Knotty Pine came from if not Tonka.

Just prior to TroutDale selling (the first time), in Fall of 2004 I think, there was a group of 15-20 rainbows that ran up big Gravois cr. to the pool by the campground. I assume they dumped them into the spring branch after closing on the estate deal. Several of them were 3-4lbs. and the campers (and myself) had a ball with them for awhile, but they disappeared before Spring. Since then TroutDale has rebuilt and reopened the raceways, but blocked off the section of spring branch, and there's nothing but minnows and crawdads in it now. They sell to restaurants only, and they don't offer fishing (by the pound) anymore and there's no trout at all in the old dammed-up branch. The way they've redesigned it, it's unlikely that any trout could get through the maze of raceways and manage to get into the branch...and beyond, on it's own. Everything is screened off pretty tight, from the ranch all the way to the VFW park.

There was also an old private trout hatchery on the hillside between Possum hollow and Bollinger cr. on the Osage arm (off Scandia rd.). But I heard that the Spring dried up during a drought in the 70's. And I think I read in the paper that Climax Spring was bought out by Culligan or one of the bottled water outfits.

One of the little creeks that feed Turkey cr.(below Warsaw) supposably had trout in it at one time also. It seems like back in the 50's - 60's whenever someone found a sizable clear spring, they'd put trout in it. LOL

[laker67]

That's interesting. Hard to say where the ones around Knotty Pine came from if not Tonka.

Just prior to TroutDale selling (the first time), in Fall of 2004 I think, there was a group of 15-20 rainbows that ran up big Gravois cr. to the pool by the campground. I assume they dumped them into the spring branch after closing on the estate deal. Several of them were 3-4lbs. and the campers (and myself) had a ball with them for awhile, but they disappeared before Spring. Since then TroutDale has rebuilt and reopened the raceways, but blocked off the section of spring branch, and there's nothing but minnows and crawdads in it now. They sell to restaurants only, and they don't offer fishing (by the pound) anymore and there's no trout at all in the old dammed-up branch. The way they've redesigned it, it's unlikely that any trout could get through the maze of raceways and manage to get into the branch...and beyond, on it's own. Everything is screened off pretty tight, from the ranch all the way to the VFW park.

There was also an old private trout hatchery on the hillside between Possum hollow and Bollinger cr. on the Osage arm (off Scandia rd.). But I heard that the Spring dried up during a drought in the 70's. And I think I read in the paper that Climax Spring was bought out by Culligan or one of the bottled water outfits.

One of the little creeks that feed Turkey cr.(below Warsaw) supposably had trout in it at one time also. It seems like back in the 50's - 60's whenever someone found a sizable clear spring, they'd put trout in it. LOL

I didn't know about bollinger or turkey creek. I've caught many a trout at the vfw park though, back before the trout parks had winter season. Another place that I've caught rainbows is saline creek near tuscumbia. After mdc bought the access, you could fish the creek within yards of the private hatchery located on saline creek. On the upper end, that creek is half the size of crane creek. I think I'll buy some triploids and turn them loose in tonka cove. At 4 dollars a pound, I think i will buy five 20 pounders. Loz might have the next state record rainbow.

[FishinJack]

WOW Trout? that's crazy, I've been fishing here for 20 years never seen a trout. I think I got a better chance at catching a Piranha!!! How many of you guys have caught a smallmouth in Lake of the Ozarks. This past big tournament a guy had 2 smallies. I've caught 3 but that's three in 20 years of fishing.

[fishinwrench]

WOW Trout? that's crazy, I've been fishing here for 20 years never seen a trout. I think I got a better chance at catching a Piranha!!! How many of you guys have caught a smallmouth in Lake of the Ozarks. This past big tournament a guy had 2 smallies. I've caught 3 but that's three in 20 years of fishing.

I have caught 3 myself and saw 2 other smallies caught in what I consider "the lake" (quite a ways from any decent sized feeder creek). One was a real toad, easily over 3lbs, caught off the rip-rap jetty at Coffman marina.