MISSOURI FISHING: FROM GOOD TO POOR

JEFFERSON -- The Missouri Department of Conservation issued its first weekly fishing report Thursday.

Fishing conditions were reported as "poor" in three area streams Current, Castor and St. Francis. Castor was reported dingy. Both the St. Francis and Castor were reported clear.

Crappie fishing was reported fair at Wappapello and Clearwater Lake and Duck Creek, with all other species slow. Trout fishing is reported good at the state's four areas Bennett Spring, Maramec Springs, Montauk, and Roaring River.

The report:

RIVERS

Black (Upper): Clear, above normal, rock bass fair in heavy cover, all other species poor.

Eleven Point: Clear, normal, all species poor.

Jack's Fork: Muddy, rising, all species poor.

Meramec (Lower): Dingy, high, crappie slow on minnows, snagging good.

Meramec (Upper): Dingy, high, trout fair on flies.

Mississippi (Lower): Muddy, high, catfish & non-game fish best catch using worms in backwaters, all other species poor.

Mississippi (Upper): Muddy, 6' high and rising, due to crest at 8' over weekend, all species poor.

Missouri (Lower): Muddy, high, snagging fair.

Missouri (Middle): Muddy, high, all species poor.

Osage: Dingy, normal, all species poor.

LAKES

Bull Shoals: Muddy in upper end of lake & clear in lower end of lake, rising, crappie fair to good in 15' depth around brush structures using minnows & jigs, bass poor.

Busch Area: A special early season will open on April 3, 1993 at 6:00 a.m. and remain open until 6:00 p.m. April 14, 1993. The regular fishing season will open at 6:00 a.m. April 15, 1993.

Busch Area (Lake 33): Only crappie may be harvested, all other fish must be returned to the water unharmed immediately, the daily limit is 30 crappie per angler. Please keep all sizes of crappie as caught.

Lake of the Ozarks (Bagnell Tailwaters): Slightly dingy, normal, all species fair.

Lake of the Ozarks (Gravois): Dingy, black bass fair to good, crappie fair, white bass fair, all other species poor.

Lake of the Ozarks (Niangua): Murky, normal, bass fair on points 10-12' on jig & pig and crankbaits, crappie good on jigs & minnows in brush 5-12', all other species fair.

Lake of the Ozarks (Osage): Dingy, black bass fair to good, crappie fair, white bass fair,all other species poor.

Norfork: Muddy in upper end of lake, rising, crappie poor, bass & walleye poor.

Paho: 46x, murky, full pool, all species poor.

Stockton: Above normal pool, white bass good near Aldrich, Little Sac & Highway 160 at Turnback Creek using roadrunners, walleye fair on roadrunners, all other species poor.

Table Rock (Long Creek): Clear, foot below power pool, bass fair to poor, all other species poor.

Truman (Tailwaters): Dingy, catfish d on chicken hearts & nightcrawlers, white bass good below dam & in creeks using jigs & Rooster Tails, paddlefish good near 72 mile marker, crappie fair off docks, walleye fair below dam on jigs & Roadrunners.

Truman: A foot above normal pool, dingy, bass good on jig & pork & spinnerbaits in back of coves, catfish good on jugs & trotlines using shad & on pole & line using nightcrawlers, crappie poor to fair at 25' depth off bluffs using minnows.

Wappapello: Normal, low, crappie good, all other species fair.