Flooding: Helpful or Harmful to Oxbows/Bayous???

[Bluesraider]

What is your opinion on this. There is a spot I fished once a couple of years ago that I decided to give another try about two weeks ago. To my surprise when I got there it was completely flooded and no way to even launch. As luck would have it where I had to stop my truck because the water was running over the road there was a black crappie about 10-11" long floating there about to meet his demise!! I started to pick him up and say I caught something but I left it for something else mother nature might think was better!! It did however make me at least feel better knowing there might be some crappie in there.

This is an old bayou that doesn't connect to the Mississippi river and only reconnects when there is extreme flooding....like recently. The last time it did this was 2011 I believe. My question is this...when it finally does get back down to normal levels and you can fish it, in your opinion will it be worth it? Does extreme flooding like this tend to hurt or help these types of lakes?

[M R Dux]

In our area we see the Ohio, Tennesseee, Cumberland, and Mississippi flood often. While flooding may replenish fish populations, it's what kind of fish that is the issue. Some of the traditional panfish oxbow lakes in this area have now been overrun with Asian carp and other undesirables. I guess it could work the other way too. You just won't hear about the good stockings.

[stormcloud]

If the water goes out fast, many of the fish will go with it. If it goes out slow, not so many. If Asian carp have made to your lake as mrdux said, you can write it off. If not now, at least in the near future.

[filletfetish]

Crappie don't spend large amounts of time in the current, so places like this are where they will typically end up during high water. I fish oxbows and river creeks because of this. I also have a pit that is often flooded by the river, and although it has every type of bait and rough fish you could imagine, it remains a great crappie fishery because of this. Don't hesitate to give it an honest try.

[Hanr3]

Flooding is great for eth back water areas.