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Question for refuge fishermen. When you have extended periods of overflow such as now, does this improve the fishing in the refuge lakes after the water falls? Living in Desha County most of my life and fishing bar-pits and oxbows off the Mississippi and Arkansas, we experience impoved fishing after a major overflow. I have fished a couple of the refuge lakes in the past few years.
As I was growing up we had a house at St. Charles and I have fished just about every puddle of water in the refuge within 20 miles of there. From my experience this should recharge the lakes as well as make for some excellent spawning conditions. Might not see it this year but next year the fishing should be fantastic.
I think the floods do help the fishing, but as Heavy Chevy said, it may not be the first year. I don't know if the better fishing is a result of adding nutients and expanding spawning territory or whether the floods bring in fish from the river or both, but I have heard or read that a flood right after the spawn can hurt if it gets high enough to wash the fry out. I have noticed over the years, though, that the crappie in Black River are shaped differently than the crappie in the lakes that get flooded, and we catch very few if any river shaped crappie out of the lakes even if there has been a flood. Maybe they just change shape pretty quick when they get in the lake. Anyway I do think the floods improve the fishing.
High water is the life of the bottoms. It is best when it comes in for several months. Just ask the duck hunters. The fish will find all the lakes and stay. Doesn't get high & stay very long anymore.
Same with the Mississppi. Looks like this time it will hang around a while. Last several years we would have spring rise and then water would fall out quickly.Quote:
Originally Posted by elbow
Since so many of the lakes in the White River NWR went dry or turned over last summer, this flood will help replenish the fish. I've always heard that a person can catch a mess of fish out of the refuge lakes after the flood waters go down.