Stl County Park Lakes been any good recently?

[mjk86]

The trout guys have been very thick at forest park, I went up there the other day...took one look and left, it was insane.  How long does it take for that pond to be cleaned out? A week or two? 

[Haris122]

good question, makes me wonder too now that people can keep everywhere. I guess cause of the weather Suson Park wasn't quite as bad. Yesterday afternoon not too many people were there but hardly anyone seemed to be catching anything either. today was a little heavier and a select couple people seemed to catch them slowly but surely, including my gf. I got skunked both days. As well as on the Mississippi in Cliff Cave Park. Tossed out shrimp at a wingdam both on a bottom rig and suspended by a slip bobber but nothing even so much as bit.

[nomolites]

On December 20, 2015 at 11:02 AM, Old plug said:

i see post on here about the STL park lales. doesn't anyone fish the Mississippi. Have no idea what its like now after having not been fishing it in 25 yrs but back in the day winfiels and Claraville tailwaters were a fine fishing this time of year. Especially cLarksville. i cannot begin to  count the number of Crappie, Sauger and Walleye we caught up there.

Yes, one can still catch walleye below the dams in Jan and early Feb. although it ain't what it once was.  The whites are more of a creek run thing but I know folks that beat them up pretty good when they run up to spawn every year.

Bottom line, LOZ is better Plug.  Run up to the headwaters of the Gravi/Niangua or below Truman and you will do much better.

Mike

[shrapnel]

Fished Simpson yesterday, from the looks of the debris on the ramp it had come up and back down a good 2-3' after the storms Saturday and was pretty dirty.  Fished all the way around the entire lake flippig jigs into the insane amount of wood in that lake.  Also threw spinnerbaits, flukes in the clearer water, senko's, frogs, buzzbaits, jerkbaits, warts....2 guys 5 hours and caught one dink on a senko.  I had some good days with 20+ pound sacks on that lake 20 yrs ago.

[DADAKOTA]

Grew up in the Lou.  Fished about every subdivision pond within a couple miles of the house.  Caught some nice ones from the pond below Henry School.  I'd go insane living there now other than fishing the Meramec, Bourbeuse, Big, and some other rivers and creeks.  Jackson County lakes are close and provide pretty good fishing.  Usually not very crowded.  Smithville, Truman, LOZ, Pomme, and Stockton are all pretty close by for us westsiders.

[Haris122]

Anyone notice if any of the naturally stocked park lakes seem to be better fishing since the flooding in winter? I've had some better luck at Butler than normal. I hoped Unger followed that trend but this evening at least it was its usual self. I figured it can't be that it didn't get some new influx of fish, if even only sunfish, so I don't know why it didn't at least produce some bites.

[Lewis Farmer]

I live in Saint Louis and I absolutely hate it. I fish almost every day, I am 17 years old, but there are no public places with any quality to go. I fish strictly on neighborhood ponds, which are typically private. I have gotten in trouble with the police before, and that is a position no person should have to go through in seek of good fishing. When I was caught, I explained to the officer that public fishing in Saint Louis is horrible and his response was to try Busch wildlife. Busch wildlife is decent on a great day, and it isn't even in the county I don't think, but usually sub par fishing, along with every designated fishing area in Saint Louis county. I think it is ridiculous that the city does so little to make fishing a possibility for the public. They have all these public places: tilles, Jefferson, Suson, creve couer, and they advertise these places as fishing holes, but in reality they are cess pools, and even though many contain fish, there are very few and each fish has seen every lure known to man. One of my friends was fishing at des Peres pond and he caught a 5 pounder there, but he was using a live crawfish. While there, he told me that the only other kid catching not fish was using goldfish. There is no opportunity for developing anglers, anyone with experience. I hate to abandoned the old fishing techniques, but anyone who is competitive and uses bait casters does not touch live bait. I would love to see the city do something about what to me is a significant issue for the city of Saint Louis.

[Haris122]

I think the biggest problem is simply that for the number of people sharing our hobby, there's just too small an amount of places to go to. That and lots of people keep fish they should be releasing. And finally add to that that some of the spots look too artificial for me to want to fish there often, and that's the end result.

[stlfisher]

Used to live the city and you can try fishing these lakes at night.  You will be surprised at what you find.  It is not the safest thing, but I never had an issue.  For the most part I used to target Bluegill with my fly rod during the day and target Bass when everyone else has gone home.  

Escaped my mother in law's for a bit of fishing at Bee Tree on Father's day, but did not catch a thing.  Pretty looking lake, but everything looked the same same so it was hard with limited time to decide which areas to fish.  I will probably go back though, limited cover makes it easy for my 3 old to cast. He is rather deadly inside of 3 feet.

[Greasy B]

On June 24, 2016 at 7:55 PM, Lewis Farmer said:

I live in Saint Louis and I absolutely hate it. I fish almost every day, I am 17 years old, but there are no public places with any quality to go. I fish strictly on neighborhood ponds, which are typically private. I have gotten in trouble with the police before, and that is a position no person should have to go through in seek of good fishing. When I was caught, I explained to the officer that public fishing in Saint Louis is horrible and his response was to try Busch wildlife. Busch wildlife is decent on a great day, and it isn't even in the county I don't think, but usually sub par fishing, along with every designated fishing area in Saint Louis county. I think it is ridiculous that the city does so little to make fishing a possibility for the public. They have all these public places: tilles, Jefferson, Suson, creve couer, and they advertise these places as fishing holes, but in reality they are cess pools, and even though many contain fish, there are very few and each fish has seen every lure known to man. One of my friends was fishing at des Peres pond and he caught a 5 pounder there, but he was using a live crawfish. While there, he told me that the only other kid catching not fish was using goldfish. There is no opportunity for developing anglers, anyone with experience. I hate to abandoned the old fishing techniques, but anyone who is competitive and uses bait casters does not touch live bait. I would love to see the city do something about what to me is a significant issue for the city of Saint Louis.

Good post, if your young and don't have the ability to drive a long way you are screwed. When I was your age I spent countless daydreaming of all the places I wanted to fish but couldn't. I've spent the last 40 years making up for it. 

Wish I could help but all I can say is fish where you can, even if it sucks, beg, borrow and mooch rides to better places and bide your time.