Dawt Mill

[parsonsles87]

Has the breach in the dam made it easier for the stripers to move up the river? And with the river running for such a distance without obstruction could one assume that they may start making a spawning run way up the river and reproducing naturally. Which I know trout fisherman hate that idea but I wouldn't mind it so much.

[parsonsles87]

Sorry meant dawt mill and my wonderful spell check changed it to date

[Phil Lilley]

Changed it.

[fishinwrench]

One can only hope. They ran as high as Kelly ford last time. That's far enough to insure a successful spawn I'd say.

[parsonsles87]

Thanks Lilley.And wrench do you know how many fish made it up that far? Or possibly what the water temp was when they made that run?

[fishinwrench]

No idea.

[Justin Spencer]

I really don't know about if they can get of a successful spawn or not, but I know there are a few above the dam already and am sure when they decide to run they will be able to get through without much problem with a little rise on the river. Should bring whites and hybrids up too so should make for some fun fishing. Only time will tell how it will effect the trout, but we've had them up before and the ones I caught were just full of crawdads. If our river was full of stupid stocker rainbows I would be worried, but the rainbows here know how to survive so I expect while some may get eaten it won't have a major impact on the bows, now the stocked browns on the other hand may have to toughen up a little. We caught this one above James Bridge a few years ago, full of BIG crawdads, once we caught one the rest disappeared.

[parsonsles87]

Thanks for the replies guys. I would like to see a few years of natural reproduction in the river. I think it would be great to see several schools of one to five pound stripers in the river year round. I like to catch trout they are good fighters but I don't like to eat them and I release all my smallies so when I float and camp I'm left with goggle eye and hotdogs lol. And it takes a lot of goggle eye to feed a camp.

[rFisherk]

I don't think they can reproduce naturally in any Ozark river. The eggs must remain suspended in the currents for a certain amount of time, and that takes a pretty turbulent and consistent flow with no intermittent quiet pools.

[The Troutdoorsman]

Before Dawt breached, when the lake would come up over the dam, it would trap the stripers. The fish had to be caught out. Now the fish can move back out, which I think has less an impact on the trout. The last striper I saw last year was mid June. I think the trout will be fine unless stipers decide to take up permanent residence.