Fishing adds to flash of music town

Travel plans for many have changed this summer, but a fishing trip to the Branson, Mo., area is a close-tohome option.

The Missouri Department of Conservation wants travelers planning a trip to the area to consider these numbers: • More than 1,400 — the

number of fish habitat structures added to Table Rock Lake between 2008 and 2013

to improve fishing. • 575,000 — the number of

trout stocked annually in Lake Taneycomo. • 40 pounds, 6 ounces — the

size of the state-record brown trout caught in Taneycomo last year.

While many aspects of summer travel have changed for 2020, these numbers are

clear indicators that fishing is still fine in the Branson area.

“Fishing has been outstanding in Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo this year,” said Shane Bush, the fisheries management biologist who manages both reservoirs for the department.

“High water over the past few years has improved both the number and the sizes of fish in both lakes. Anglers can expect to catch good numbers of quality-size bass and bluegill in Table Rock right now, as well as good numbers of large rainbow and brown trout in Taneycomo.”

The fishing appeal of Table Rock and Taneycomo is no secret. It made the Branson area a vacation destination long before music shows, magic acts, and other entertainment venues went built in town.

For those seeking rod and reel relaxation on Table Rock, the 43,100-acre

Army Corps of Engineers lake provides opportunities for several species. Department electrofishing surveys

indicate good populations of largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, as well as crappie, walleye, bluegill and channel catfish.

Lake Taneycomo’s trout story started in 1959 when the

construction of Table Rock Dam created a large, deep, and winding lake east of the Table Rock reservoir.

Lake Taneycomo, which is owned by Liberty Utilities, flows along the course of what was once the White River. The water in Lake Taneycomo stays cool even during summer because of cold-water discharges from the bottom of Table Rock Dam during hydro-electric generation.

In effect, Taneycomo is a super-sized trout stream.

In addition to sufficient habitat and good water temperature, trout have an abundant food supply. Among the creatures that flourish on the rocky bottom of the lake are amphipods, more commonly known as freshwater shrimp. These small crustaceans are one of the lake’s most common organisms and a favorite food of rainbow trout and younger brown trout.

The state-record brown trout caught last September smashed the previous state record of 34 pounds, 10

ounces, which was caught in February 2019, also at Taneycomo.