Water level in Trophy Area

[D.T.]

This past weekend I walked the north bank from the new boat ramp up to outlet 3. While walking I looked at a couple ledges about halfway in between this area that I thought used to have a deeper drop off. This got me to thinking about the amount of water in the trophy area the first time I came to Taney, which was about 4 years ago. The water was not running and I remember fishing a shallow flats where the water backed up around the point at the end of the narrows. The water backed up pretty far around that point and it held a lot of fish. The rebar seemed to not stick up out of the water as much as it does now as well. Is this my bad memory or is there not as much water up there now. I know outlet 3 is not runing would that make that much of a difference in water elevation?

Thanks, Dave

[Phil Lilley]

The whole upper end of the lake has filled in with gravel. From the cable down to the boat ramp- there's no deep hole anymore.

Back in the early 80's, I remember having to walk upstream above #2 about 75 yards to wade across and even then I barely stayed dry trying it. Now it's not even to my knees. Below #2 you didn't even try it.

If we had deep water like that again up there, these trout would be protected from the relentless bombardment of anglers and shufflers.

MDC needs to do something about it.

[D.T.]

Phil,

I was looking at the pictures in the maps area and you can tell the water covered alot more of the gravel bars below #2 and the lake looks much wider then, than now. That first summer I was down to taney I was wet wading and trying to cross in different areas and I found water almost chest deep. The rebar seemed very deep and I didnt even try to cross at lower end of it and there was a spot toward the end of the narrows that was chest deep only a few feet from the south bank.

Four years seems fast to fill in, and where did all the gravel come from, was it all along the upper banks and washed in? Would this have been from not running the water very much the last couple of years?

If there is not as much water covering the gravel up there then there is not as many places for the aquatic insects to produce. Maybe this would be part of the reason for the lower numbers of fish along with all the pressure in a small area like you were saying. I was reading some where that scuds tend to thrive in faster moving water, not much fast water anymore.

[Phil Lilley]

You're right. Hopefully we can get MDC to address some of these issues.

[Danoinark]

I just didn't realize there were some critical issues like this on Upper Taney. What can be done? Anyone already talked with MDC?

Dano

[Phil Lilley]

I have. They are willing to look at the issues but right now they're swamped with the hatchery addition and other coldwater hatchery problems (low flow) so they put me off till next year. I'm thinking about stirring it up again after the first of the year.

[Kansas Fly Fisher]

Phil, let us know when and if we can do anything to help with this. Like Dan, I didn't realize we had such issues at Taney.

John