Growth Rates - Taneycomo Rainbows

[Phil Lilley]

When the food supply here in the lake is good, rainbows can grow up to one inch per month. That's what MDC has reported in the past.

Food- meaning freshwater shrimp. High in protein.

Over the years, this population of scuds has had valleys and peak- mostly valleys. Not sure what causes either except for one thing - moving water. When the water is NOT running, bug populations drop. When it runs nonstop for long periods of time (like this year), bug populations go through the roof.

We are seeing a big surge in big rainbow population in the lake this spring. One of my guides has seen big balls of shrimp in the bellies of rainbows he's cleaned for clients - these rainbows being caught from just below Fall Creek down to the Branson Landing. He thinks the shrimp population is on the upswing and the rainbows are taking advantage of it.

I've seen big numbers of quality rainbows in the last month, not what we saw just 5 months ago during the early winter months. Did these fish go in hiding and just now reappeared? I don't think so. Most have grown 3-4 inches since the first of the year, in my opinion.

Now we're seeing more down water, no generation. That's the cycle. We keep getting rain and we may see more generation - we'll see.

[Quillback]

An inch a month, that's pretty impressive.