“Some of them are as old as you and me,” quipped Paul Cieslewicz, fishery biologist for the Conservation Department. He was talking about the crappie in Clearwater Lake.

They grow slowly in Clearwater, but they live an exceptionally long time. The big year class of crappie that showed up last summer won’t be huge yet this year, but they’re keepers now and will keep growing for several more years.
They made for good numbers but small size last summer. A lot of fish were tossed back. Big crappie were still there, but the aggressive little guys often got to the bait first.

This year they’re more desirable and still very numerous. Typically, crappie reach nine inches after three years. That’s about the size fishermen begin keeping them. But on Clearwater, nine inch crappie tend to be four years old. Some make it on out to 14 and 15 inches. They’re very old for crappie. In most lakes they die before they get that big and old.

A storm muddied the lake and raised it nine feet in just a few hours while biologists were sampling last spring.
Paul said because of that, the sampling was incomplete. Still, he said they caught crappie up to 14 inches and 73 per cent of the crappie sampled were over 9 inches - 55 per cent were over 10 inches. Largemouth bass showed a numerical decline this year - those over 15 inches in length dropped from 30 per cent of the population to 24 per cent. While that’s lower, it is statistically within the range of error. Clearwater is still on a par with the best bass lakes in Missouri.

Paul says the outlook is very good too. His sampling found that 2008 was a very good year for largemouth reproduction. Those fish will be growing into catchable sizes in the coming years.

BRUSH

For fishermen, habitat to attract fish is very important. Brush was added to the lake last year and is scheduled to go in again this year. Old brush piles are also scheduled to be refurbished with more brush.
MDC, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is also trying to establish aquatic plants in the lake. Not everything can survive the water fluctuations, but Paul said some plants seem to be taking hold in the Logan Creek and Webb Creek parts of the lake. Efforts shift to Goose Creek this year.

Paul said the goal is not to create big weedy areas in the lake, but to establish enough vegetation to afford some cover for young fish. The plants are protected by wire fences until they are well established.

BELOW THE DAM

The walleye fishery below Clearwater Dam is the big news. Paul says the walleye density has gone up steadily, and fishermen are finding them. Last year, a reward tag program was begun with the stocking of 248 tagged fish. By fall, 18 per cent of the tags had been turned in for rewards. More will be coming in from that stocking over the years ahead.
The tagged fish represent the total population. So it is assumed 18 per cent of the walleye population was caught last year. An additional 250 tagged fish will be released this spring.

32,000 fingerling walleye were stocked in 2008. They’ll reach a legal size of 15 inches in 2011. Additional walleye will be stocked this spring or next. A supplemental stocking about every three years is anticipated. Supplemental stocking began in 2003.
Fishermen are finding walleye not only in the winter, when they are traditionally sought in the Ozarks, but year around. Tag returns suggest walleye hang out in the area below the dam from winter until June. Then in July the catching shifts to Markham Spring and downstream from there.
Walleye up to10 pounds are taken every year.
Paddlefish are becoming a popular fish below the dam too. They come to the pool below the dam at spawning time in late April and while they don’t bite, they may be snagged.

CATFISH

The section of Black River downstream from the dam is rich in channel catfish and harbors a few big flathead catfish. The situation is much the same in the lake except it is hard to put numbers to the lake’s catfish since it is difficult to sample them. They are inaccessible in the deep water.
What biologists do know is that the attitudes of people who fish for catfish in Clearwater are good. They express satisfaction with the lake’s catfish above levels found on most lakes.

UPSTREAM

Upstream from the lake, Black River is very clear and considered great fishing for smallmouth bass. Despite what you might think, the clear river is home to a stong channel catfish population too.
And it is an exciting white bass fishery during the spring spawning period.

PANFISH

For fast action, panfish are the most reliable. That’s why they’re so good for youngsters to fish for when they are just learning. Clearwater has its share of panfish. They’re fairly easy to find. And they’s what you want if you have young children along.
And the thing about fishing for panfish in Clearwater is you never know when the bobber goes under if the fish on the other end of the line is going to be a big bass or crappie or catfish.
Clearwater but white bass and catfish rank high as well. The spring white bass run which usually peaks during spring wild turkey season.