Low lakes impact fish supplies

The result is both positive and negative for Missouri’s fishing industry – a $740 million industry in 2001, according to the most recent information from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Burt Leman, owner of Artilla Cove Resort and president of the Indian Point Chamber of Commerce, said shallower water can help fishermen who need to be able to see underwater trees and plants, where many fish like to hide.

The difficulty could come from the other end of the equation: the fish supplies.

Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery supplies more than 1.1 million brown and rainbow trout annually for Missouri fish conservation sites, including Lake Taneycomo.

Hatchery Manager James Civiello said those trout, which are cold-water fish, are being doubly impacted – both by water temperature increases due to lower levels and less hydroelectric power generation off the lake.

“Without having a water exchange through Lake Taneycomo, those surface temperatures are warm enough that the hatchery is not able to stock fish,” Civiello said. “Our water we receive here is in the 50 degree range, and putting fish from 50 degrees to 70 to 80 degrees is lethal. We basically have to stop stocking until there is hydroelectric generation.”

Civiello added that other hatchery operations, such as Roaring River Hatchery, before recent rains had been moving as little as 4 to 5 million gallons of water, compared with the normal 20 million.

Other popular sport fish – including bass, bluegill and catfish – are not adversely affected by the warmer waters.

Click here for the full story from April 17.