Fishing Report 3/15/2021

How's Fishing?

 Fishing is good with adjustments.  Spring is the time of year that brings more rain and unfortunately less than stellar water conditions.  None of us embrace change, especially in our style of fly-fishing.  Most of us fall back on our old reliable for me that is the John Deere.  The stream is fishable by making slight changes to the way you fish.  The stream is up, flowing fast, and looks like chocolate milk.  Finding the slack water and fishing the edges, fishing where you normally stand works well.  I used my spinning rod with 1/8 ounce marabou above the dam and some wooly buggers I tied.  On my flyrod I used extra fast sinking leader (7 IPS) and orange mopflies and woolies size 8.  

See you on the stream!  Spring ahead and embrace the change!

Water Conditions (Comparison)

Bennett Spring

March 15, 2021
Gage house level is 3.70 feet
Daily Discharge levels:
All discharge numbers are in Cubic Feet per Second
minimum was 82.0 in 1936
25th percentile is 136
Current level is 816
Median is 182
Mean is 259
75th percentile is 295
Max was 1210 in 1990

March 4, 2021
Gage house level is 2.15 feet
Daily Discharge levels:
All discharge numbers are in Cubic Feet per Second
minimum was 87.3 in 2015
25th percentile is 129
Current level is 200
Median is 180
Mean is 227
75th percentile is 233
Max was 2250 in 1984



https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=06923500

Niangua River

March 15, 2021
Gage House reading (water level) is 10.17 feet.
Discharge levels in cubic feet per second:
Minimum was 44.0 in 1996
25th percentile is 107
Median is 281
Today's reading is 6330
75th percentile is 501
Mean is 527
record high max was 2940 in 2011

March 4, 2021
Gage House reading (water level) is 1.90 feet.
Discharge levels in cubic feet per second:
Minimum was 75.0 in 1996
25th percentile is 104
Median is 237
Today's reading is 239
75th percentile is 461
Mean is 402
record high max was 2650 in 2008


https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=06923250

What's Working?

From the Fly Case

Blue Wing Olive
Autumn Splendor
Pale Evening Dun
Black Caddis
Bennett Blue Cracklebacks'
Wooly Buggers- olive, purple, brown, black, white

Zone 1 or 2

Mopflies- cream, orange, chartreuse
Megaworms-white, pink
Purple Nurple Mini Jig
Opossum Hair Roaches~ brown, white, brown
Peacock jigs
John Deere
Original Tricolor Glo-balls
John Deere with Yellowtail
Peach Fur Bugs
Popsicle Glo-Balls
Jimi Hendrix Glo-Balls

Green Goblin Mini Jigs

Monarch Mini Jigs
Tricolor Sockeye Glo-Balls
Marabou - black and yellow, gingersnap, Shell and white, white, John Deere (Moss and Yellow), moss, ginger, yellow, red and white, pink and white
Rooster Tails-White, Fluorescent Orange, Brown

Zone 3

Fluorescent Orange Glitter Powerbait
Glitter White Powerbait
Marshmallow White Powerbait
Salmon Peach PowerBait
PowerBait Power Eggs Red, Bubblegum, White, Orange
Bumblebee PowerBait
Fluoroscent Orange Powerbait Nuggets
Yellow Powerbait Nuggets
Salmon Eggs
Bentley's Secret Bait

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 60. East wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 59.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.

Windyville MO
37.72°N 92.92°W (Elev. 1024 ft)

Lunker Club

 3/4/2021 

Dave Frohwitter from Arnold, MO 5 pounds in zone 1 on a crackleback

3/6/2021

London Brunk from Kahoka, MO 3 pounds in zone 3 on cheese Powerbait

Austin Breitweisher from Columbia, MO 2 1/4 pounds in zone 2 on a marabou

Lexi from Marshfield, MO 2 pounds in zone 3 on shrimp

Roberta Moore from Lebanon, MO 4 pounds in zone 3 on a brown lure

Taylor for Holt's Summit, MO 2 1/2 pounds in zone 2 on a Yellow Roostertail

Austin Olson from Success, MO 3 1/4 pounds in zone 1 on a pink and white marabou

3/7/2021

Doug Apprill from Washington, MO 5.89 pounds in zone 3 on a plastic worm

3/8/2021

Melanie Pierce from Mansfield, MO 4 pounds in zone 2 on a fly

3/10/2021

James Shortell from Lebanon, MO 2 1/2 pounds in zone 3 on Powerbait

3/13/2021

Adam Burkart from St. Joseph, MO 2 1/4 pounds in zone 1 on a John Deere 

3/15/2021

Brian Normile 3.2 pounds in zone 2 on a white mopfly

Matt Eilenstine from Gardner, KS 3 3/4 pounds in zone 1 on an orange brassie

Calendar of Events

April 17, 2021~ Veteran's Free Fishing Day

May 1, 2021~ Kids Free Fishing Day

September 27, 2021~Ladies Free Fishing Day

For additional information, please call 417-532-4418 or 417-532-7612.

There is a list at https://mostateparks.com/events/park/bennett-spring-state-park that gives all the details of other activities, such as hikes that are going on at Bennett Spring State Park through out the year.

FISHING HOURS

BEGIN
END

March

7:30 A.M. CDT
7:00 P.M. CDT


April

7:00 A.M.
7:30 P.M.


May

6:30 A.M.
8:15 P.M.


June

6:30 A.M.
8:30 P.M.


July

6:30 A.M.
8:30 P.M.


August
7:00 A.M.
8:00 P.M.


September
7:30 A.M.
7:15 P.M.


October
7:30 A.M.
6:30 P.M.

Daylight Saving Time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

Quote of the Week

 Fisherman: "Hey, pal! You've been standing there watching me fish for three hours! Why don't you get a rod and reel and do some fishing yourself?" Onlooker: "No, thanks. I don't have the patience for it"

Author:

Jimmy D Moore

Thanks for reading,

Devin