4/16/24 MDC adds new fish habitat at Truman Lake

Sunken brush piles help fish and anglers

Warsaw, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently boosted fish habitat at Truman Lake. MDC staff cut red cedar trees, tied them into brush piles, added weights and sank them off shore near the Fairfield boat ramp on the Pomme de Terre arm of the lake.

“Cedar trees provide cover for fish and are good places for anglers to catch fish, especially crappie,” said Chris Brooke, MDC fisheries biologist.

MDC has added brush piles to large reservoirs throughout Missouri to boost fish habitat. The brush piles provide havens from predators for young fish. They also attract bait fish, which attracts sport fish like largemouth bass and crappie that anglers enjoy catching. To assist anglers, staff will be adding the GPS locations of the new brush piles to lists for all lakes that are available at MDC’s Where to Fish webpage or via MDC’s MO Fishing app at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZJZ.

If anglers have any questions about fishing at Truman Lake or the fish habitat project they can contact Brooke at Chris.Brooke@mdc.mo.gov.

Photos: MDC staff recently sank cedar trees tied into brush piles in Truman Lake to improve fish habitat. The brush was sunk near the Fairfield boat ramp on the Pomme de Terre arm of the lake.

Photos by Chris Brooke, Missouri Department of Conservation