Duck Creek.

[jdmidwest]

Local paper run a story on Duck Creek and the upgrades today. It seems like there will be periods of times this summer that the bridge may be closed on the east side of Pool 1, access thru lower end or off Z. This will affect anyone fishing there. Seems like on March 3, they finally were able to replenish Pool 1 main lake to restore it to normal after its lowest ever in a long time. Lots of ditch cleaning going on this summer. I just hope they finish before next fall. Might get to try it this weekend for crappie if weather holds out and winds stay under gale force.

Duck Creek Blog

Semissourian Article

[Stoneroller]

take some pictures of the water level and get a water temp if you can. this will likely be the first stop on the canoe/kayak trail.

[jdmidwest]

From the looks of the pics on the blog taken back on the first of March, they were able to trap enough water to bring the level back to normal pool. Depending on weather and schedule this weekend, I am going to try to give it a shot.

Sometime, later in the year, you will have to take a long way around to get to it when they close the bridge.

[E Green]

I'm new to this area and have a few questions about Duck Creek so hopefully you can help me out. Is this the lake that is located in MINGO? Can you fish at other places in Mingo as well? I have been to the park twice since moving here and I realized there are a bunch of different bodies of water but I wasn't able to tell them apart by names or any of the markings on the map.

edit>>>>>>>>nevermind, I followed your link and found a plethora in info...thanks

[jdmidwest]

Duck Creek is the MDC managed part of Mingo. Mingo is Federal. Mingo has Stanley Creek and other areas to fish. It has an area for non motorized vessels in a wilderness area. Duck Creek has the Main Pool which is mainly storage for the flooding of the duck hunting areas in the fall.

[Haris122]

Me and a buddy of mine are thinking of going fishing Duck Creek CA main pool possibly next weekend. It's over a 2 hour drive from St. Louis so I'd rather not go there unprepared, so I wanted to ask about a few additional things.

For one, is the lake accessible for fishing, seeing how there's still one type of waterfowl season still open until the end of April (snow geese, blue geese, ross's geese, light goose conservation order)?

If it is open, are the boats they have for rent already out or is it like with Busch, where they stow them away until it gets nicer? And if they're out how much is it to rent them, and do they come with oars, or do they actually have motors of some sort? If they have motors, do they need some type of completion of boater safety to operate the boat?

Appreciate any info on this, and thanks in advance for help figuring it out.

 

[jdmidwest]

The whole lake is open for fishing.  Snow goose does not affect the fishing.  No hunters on lake or refuge boundries.

As far as boats, you need to call their office and see what they have to offer.  I think they still have paddle boats, but not sure.  I don't really pay any attention to that part as I drive by.  Most of the time I put in on the east side and don't even come close to the boat dock.

Fishing should be ok.  Bass and Pickerel should be biting.  Probably crappie too.  Too early for redear or bluegill.

[Haris122]

Cool. Thanks JD.

[Haris122]

Went down there yesterday. Beautiful place but with the wind as crazy as it was, fishing from the kayak turned out to be an exercise in futility. I went to the southeast corner cause the trees to the south and the levee blocked the wind a little. But whenever I tried to go out a little further, close to the cypress trees, the wind would really pick up. I tried some lilie pads, some of the cypress trees, some of the open water between the trees and shore, near the bank, near the bank by the rental boats dock, and I couldn't even buy me a bite. It's a beautiful place, but the darn wind sucked. I don't know if it was the wind or what, but the fishing was also really disappointing.

[jdmidwest]

That place is a bear with a 4 mile wind.  Yesterday, I think it clocked in around 45 mph in the afternoon.

Flat land and not much breaks.  I always look at the wind when I head down there.  Its best when glassed over or a gentle breeze.  Otherwise, you can hi center a stump and end up in a hard spot.  I have duck hunted it in the middle of the main pool with about a 10 inch swell holding on to a cypress tree.  Shooting sucked.  It does not take much of a wind to stir up the waves on it.

But you did what was needed.  Check wind direction and fish off the side the wind is blowing.  Deep lane around East, West, and South side.  It was worth a shot.

I would have bailed out and fished Stanley Creek down and Mingo.  Its an option if wind is puffing.