Search:

The regulation change was approved and finalized a week ago. The regulation may not be reflected in the printed booklet until the next printing. It should be reflected in the wildlife code on the...

No data on Mark Twain walleye.

Lake

DR>15

DR>20

DR>26

Biggest Fish

Below are sampling data from Missouri’s walleye lakes. The density rating (DR) is a relative measureof the number of walleye in a lake over 15, 20, and 26 inches. The order the lakes are in is...

I am yet to master the quick reply. Sorry for the bunched words. Good luck catchin'.

I got in touch with the Lake's biologist. See his responses below.

1. When information states that crappie spawn between 55 - 60 degrees, is thissurface temp of where the crappie live (10 feet...

We normally recommend 1 to 2 grass carp per acre to start. The guy selling you carp will recommend more. As they grow, they eat more and more. If you stock at too high of a rate, they eat all the...

At some point in cold months, some crappie utilize much of their energy intake for gonad development instead of growth. So they may be eating, but much of that energy is used for egg development,...

I found a length-weight relationship for lake sturgeon in Minnesota (MDNR). It takes approximately 34 years to get to 60 inches. Some fish get there a little faster, some a little slower.

Good read! We came to a consensus of 17+. The + means it is in its 17th year. The outside of the otolith or spine does not count as a annuli. Normally, we have two or three people read the same...

You don't need much magnification for otoliths, but the best way to look at them is crack them in half, sand the cracked edge with very fine sandpaper and have a light source to direct into the...

That's correct. For crappie, bluegill and shad we can read otolith (ear bone) rings like tree rings are read for aging. We use sections of catfish and carp spines for aging, and we use scales for...

Yes we did. We also found a 12 year-old shad in a STL lake. Amazing.

Black Crappie


Age



Lake

White Crappie




Age

Here are some data for crappie and bass growth in select NW,KC and STL region small impoundments. I realize it is a lot to look at and take in, but if you have a favorite small impoundment or are...

I'm not sure anyone knows for sure, but the biologists that manage paddlefish populations seem to think it is surge feeding. When high densities of zooplankton are near the surface, they accelerate...

Good question. I don't know, but I sent it on to the experts. Waiting on a reply.

Update on spring walleye sampling...

We sampled Smithville Dam last night and got 184 walleye injust over a half-hour of shocking. This isthe second highest number (203) we have seen in the last...

There are blue cats in Smithville. However, the numbers of blues are pretty low compared to channel and flathead catfish numbers in the lake. I haven't seen one in the years I have sampled catfish...

There have been reports of false spawn (no survival of eggs) in crappie during the Fall in northern states and some successful fall spawning down south in Florida in September and October, but my...

Each MDC regional office has a Natural History Biologist. They are the people you need to contact based on where the nest was located. In speaking with our NHB, he said they are only interested in...

At this point and time, it is likely that there are bald eagles nesting in every county in the State of Missouri. There are certainly nesting eagles around Smithville, most of the ones I am aware of...

That was us. We have hit a "few" stumps on Smithville looking for cages in the backs of coves. Believe me, "stump" is only one of many things we have yelled at Eric the last four years! We are...

The regulaton is trolling motor only, so using your gas motor is illegal. Whether you get a ticket or not is up to your local agent. I would discuss with your local agent before using your motor...

A lot of times this gets down to prey availability. During the warmer months, shad larvae are quickly growing and most fish will switch over to this very abundant prey (in lakes with shad). Once...

The best place to find crappie along the river is in backwater areas with slow moving or slack water, or in blue holes (scours/ponds flooded or dug out by the river during a flood year). The main...

Hello everyone! My name is Matt Engel. I am also a Fisheries Management Biologist in the NW Region of Missouri. I am responsible for many small lakes east of St. Joseph, and I have some Missouri...