Dam Work-Serious Condition Changes Soon

[Trav]

Starting September 7th the lake will be dropping six inches a day until it is five to six feet below pool level. Some much needed work on the dam is getting done. They will be inserting a tube for influx water. The work is supposed to last five months but I have heard it could be completed as soon as January.

The bad news is.... during the draw down we can expect the fishing to be very hit and miss. Anyone who is familiar with tidal fishing knows this. When the water is dropping the fish shut down. And for the months the water is low it will concentrate the baitfish. This will give bass, walleye, cats, and musky some serious full bellys.

For us fishermen, we can expect some tough fishing this fall here on Pomme. And for those of you with boats in the water, you should be preparing for this. Nothing worse than seeing your boat with its lower unit in the mud.

Now for some good news!!!

This draw down will correct a lot of the recent changes the lake has experienced the past five years when it comes to the fishery. White bass numbers have been pretty sad the past two years and their fry have been a huge staple for the bass, musky and walleye.

According to MDC surveys, this has been the best year for walleye ever. Credited to high shad success. Yet it has been the worst for musky. And whites have pretty much fallen off the grid. Also, the spotted bass have had a competitive edge over the Largemouth on the survival curve with all the high water these recent years.

This low water will hurt the youngest of the new fry but with all the high rains this summer they have had a chance to age and should flourish. Basically the lake will be a dog eat dog scenario during this draw down. Long enough to make sure the biggest and healthiest survive.

Now for some more bad news...

Alpha crap predators like drum will also reap these rewards and we all know Pomme has more drum than any lake in the area. There is a reason why the crayfish population is slim to none here. Don't get me wrong...as far as fighters the drum are tough as nails and pound for pound but they eat a lot! Also since there is going to be a draw down when the weather is still warm the turtles will move into areas they normally wouldn't. Lower Taney has the white suckers taking over and Pomme has the drum and turtles.

And with the musky population dwindling...this draw down could put them out of the food chain all together without a substantial restock. I mean...they rely on fall for spring spawn. Like pike they feed all winter where they are going to spawn in the spring. This draw down will mess up the patterns more than the lack of white bass.

Back to some good news!!

I personally will take advantage of this draw down to modify maps. I am going to take my "hot spots" map and some colored pencils and mark every exposed area of interest for future reference. I will note every log, sand bar, and cliff ledge. A five foot draw might not seem like much but from my experience with powersite and Lower Taney...these draw downs are valuable teaching tools.

The fish will fatten up over the winter on the concentrated bait source by the draw down. The spring run will be spectacular because of it. We can only hope we get some more high water in the spring to take advantage of the healthy boost the brood stock will obviously have.

There has been some talk about hiding secret fishing spots. This draw down will give you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with some of those. Maybe find a few new ones. Just keep in mind...a good fisherman knows the fish and the terrain and a couple hot spots won't make you a better fishermen. It is how you present your bait and how you adapt to weather and fishing pressure which separates yourself from the pack. Guys like Denny and Kevin catch fish with an audience and helicopters over their heads.

There is nothing wrong with sharing knowledge. I do it free. I talk to many who want to listen to Trav. I think it is silly...most of you guys know what you are doing...ask me and i will send you on your way.....I don't need to prove a thing. I just want people to say they read my reports or talked to me and it made a difference.

No charge

Haha

And I stray....

If you are going to fish Pomme do it before September 7th.... After the draw it will be crazy until we see spring rain.

[oneshot]

Looks like while I'm not Deer hunting I'll be spending more time on the Niangua and Truman Lake.

oneshot

[Muskie Bob]

According to the news article.....

http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/pt/news.cfm#L385

"Once the drawdown is completed and repair work begins, releases from Pomme de Terre dam will be very limited, likely to a maximum of 100 cubic feet-per-second. The normal low flow release is 50 cubic feet-per-second."

"During the six-month work period, the lake elevation could vary greatly depending upon rainfall. If significant rainfall and inflows are received, then Pomme de Terre Lake could rise to an elevation as high as 858 feet."

Now, that's interesting.........the lake level may rise well above normal. It just depends on the amount of rainfall.

http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wrc/drought/monthlyrainfallmaps.htm

If I did my math correctly, the rainfall amounts for Sept and Oct were....

2009 - 15.7

2008 - 12.6

2007 - 4.48

2006 = 4.5

Based on the last couple of years, the lake might rise back to above normal before the end of Oct. Just my thoughts. So, just how long will the drawdown last?

[Trav]

According to the news article.....

http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/pt/news.cfm#L385

"Once the drawdown is completed and repair work begins, releases from Pomme de Terre dam will be very limited, likely to a maximum of 100 cubic feet-per-second. The normal low flow release is 50 cubic feet-per-second."

"During the six-month work period, the lake elevation could vary greatly depending upon rainfall. If significant rainfall and inflows are received, then Pomme de Terre Lake could rise to an elevation as high as 858 feet."

Now, that's interesting.........the lake level may rise well above normal. It just depends on the amount of rainfall.

http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wrc/drought/monthlyrainfallmaps.htm

If I did my math correctly, the rainfall amounts for Sept and Oct were....

2009 - 15.7

2008 - 12.6

2007 - 4.48

2006 = 4.5

Based on the last couple of years, the lake might rise back to above normal before the end of Oct. Just my thoughts. So, just how long will the drawdown last?

Thanks Bob for the links! I didn't have a chance to read up on it.

I got my information from an MDC guy who was doing surveys on the lake yesterday. Very nice fellow by the way.

I didn't want to alarm anyone. Just sharing the information and speculating with optimism what the effects this work could do for the fish.

Bob is right...if the rain gets heavy this fall the lake could get full again. I for one hope they can get the work done quickly so it won't effect spring fishing but the weather is definately an unpredictable variable.

[Trav]

Looks like while I'm not Deer hunting I'll be spending more time on the Niangua and Truman Lake.

oneshot

You should take advantage of this to see some of the lake you wouldn't normally get a view of. The fishing might be a bit tough but there is something to learn from here.

[Dutch]

I talked to the COE yesterday and was told that they weren't sure if any ramps will be useable. They are supposed to check them this week and have an idea by next week. I talked to the DNR today and their feeling is that their ramps and courtesy docks will be unuseable.

The COE also told me that it was a 5 week instead of a 5 month work project.

[Trav]

I talked to the COE yesterday and was told that they weren't sure if any ramps will be useable. They are supposed to check them this week and have an idea by next week. I talked to the DNR today and their feeling is that their ramps and courtesy docks will be unuseable.

The COE also told me that it was a 5 week instead of a 5 month work project.

The guy I talked to said it was a three month projection by the contractors doing the job. I guess we will know when it is done...haha