Many lakes around the country have different bottom styles from sheer drops down into as much as 180 foot of water on canyon terrain reservoirs, to relatively shallow featureless bowls with subtle drops in depth. Not all lakes are built alike but trophy-sized blues behave in similar ways wherever they swim - especially when it comes to relating to the same types of cover and depth according to the season you are fishing.
|
|
|
Lake of the Ozarks was impounded in 1931 by private interests. Hydroelectric power and creating a community attraction were the main goals, and as a result the fishing potential of the lake proved excellent. Titled a "work project lake" the bottom of Lake of the Ozarks was cleared of timber, burned off, and then cleaned before they filled it. The lake was formed by damming the Osage River which
was originally home to all three species of catfish. The sprawling 56,000 acre lake is now home to channel cats, flatheads and blue cats of mega-proportions. An angler could find depths of over 100 feet but the lake has many acres that average between 15 and 30 feet in depth.
Unlike the privately built Ozarks, Truman Reservoir was developed by the Army Corps of Engineers as a flood control lake on the Osage above the Ozarks. Impounded in 1969, Truman holds 55,000 acres of water at normal pool. Truman is designed to be able to hold seven times that capacity at flood stage. Before Truman Reservoir was filled a bit over half of the standing timber was cleared but instead of burning and clearing
nearly 30,000 acres of trees, they were piled into the old river channel. The extensive wood cover in Truman Reservoir is home to all three species of catfish and the lake is known for producing some humongous cats. Anglers could find water as deep as 90+ feet of water and also ply expansive shallow flats that lead to deeper water.
PREVIOUS -
NEXT
|
