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Post by Whiskers on May 19, 2006 19:12:28 GMT -6
The Niangua River is much more than just an arm of Lake of the Ozarks.It has some very good fishing all along it.It starts around Marshfield in Webster County and flows some 140 miles to form the Niangua arm of the Lake.It also has a somewhat of a hidden gem below Bennet Spring.A small often overlooked lake. Tunnel Dam is a secret to most people because it sits in the middle of nowhere and is only accessible by gravel roads but it has some good fishing,I remember camping there as a kid and still enjoy going back today.One of the last attractions on the Niangua before hitting the lake is Ha Ha Tonka that is a must see if you've never been.It has all the features you can imagine,hiking,caves,a castle,park too much to list.The Niangua River is a class act in my book from beginning to end.
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Post by Wolfman on May 19, 2006 22:27:45 GMT -6
Headwaters(one of them) for the niangua actualy starts in the field across the road from the farm...lol Idiot developer built about 6 houses in the field and would'nt listen when told basements would be a problem due to the spring. First house had it's basement dug and built then sat for about 4 days. Guy came back and found a swimming pool...lol
Tunnel dam used to be a prime cat lake with pleanty of crappie, carp ect to round it out. Few years back the state made sho-me power cut their generation down so there would be a constant flow over the dam of several inchs. This was to make sure the river itself rose so the lazy canoers did'nt have to drag a canoe over one or two shallow shoals around bennet springs. This has really impacted the lake itself as well as the quality of fishing and quanity caught. Some good holes are silting in and some of the best spots you can't buy a fish now(like in front of the power plant intake). Crappie numbers as well as cat numbers are way down. I grew up fishing that lake almost evey weekend and it's hard for me to find the cats down there now.
The river itself, especialy below the dam is still pretty good all the way to LOZ. But one of the prime areas right at the powerhouse itself is much like the lake now. Minimal generation has killed the fantastic crappie and sometimes white bite of the spring. The cat bite is pretty slow there now as well. Saucer sized bluegill are few and far between along the retaining wall now as well.
The river itself below the power house and up to the dam sometimes will have a decent walleye run if you can find em on the shoals. Saugeyes in the spring below the dam during overflow periods were numerous enough while crappie fishing to be a real nuisance. Especialy as most were usualy 1/2 inch below the legal limit...lol
Deep holes and brush and rock piles abound in the river. You'll find some blues in the lake itself but few above it. Blues are about as numerous as channels below the dam down to LOZ. Flatheads are'nt as numerous as they used to be but their still there and some nice cats are still lurking near the structure.
Ha Ha Tonka is worth a visit. Be sure to take a whole day for it thought, there's lots to see. The castle itself has several stories. The Published stories then the local stories listed as urban legand ect. Like how and why it burned. The rock bridge, the spring, the bluff below the castle, the trails need to be walked to see these. Numerous indians(Osage) outlaws(Jesse James) and Moon Shiners have used the cave itself at one time or another. The cove below the spring is excellent for large Hybrids during the spring run of a night useing LARGE live shad fished deep. Cat fishing is good to.
When fishing the niangua, lake and river, beware the copperheads(copperhead heaven), enjoy the scenry and don't piss off the locals. The local law is a good 45 minutes away(at least) and the locals are used to dealing with things themselves...lol Your good to go high water mark to high water mark on the lake as well as the river. Lakes privately owned by sho-me and the navigable rivers law covers the river itself.
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