Clearwater Lake Fishing Spot
- Elevation: 549'
- Last Modified By: vinny60 on 09/16/09 04:06 PM
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The brush pile program has being helping fishermen connect with crappie. The brushy cover definitely concentrates the fish. Once fishermen learn how to fish the cedar and hardwood tops, catching nice crappie can be pretty consistant. Another “sure” way to catch crappie in Clearwater is to troll along the edges of submerged creek and river channels. Some fishermen drift with the wind, staying over the channel margins with the aid of an electric motor. Live bait works well. Others troll crankbaits at slow speeds with gasoline or electric motors. Either way, a good depth finder is essential. Because Clearwater is a deep steep-sided lake for the most part, it can be hard to find the bass. One approach is to fish very early and very late - or up into the night when bass come up into the shallows. Bass are also drawn to the brush piles. Tough line and weedless lures are in order. Above and below the lake is good catfishing too. A surprisingly good channel catfish population lives above the lake in the air-clear water of Black River. Below the dam, you can add flathead catfish to the mix. There is also a good walleye fishery below the dam, and in the spring, huge paddlefish move up into the river below the dam. They’re filter feeders and rarely caught on bait. But snaggers can hook into fish up to 60 pounds.
Clearwater Lake Description
Clearwater Lake, also known as the "Gem of the Ozarks", is well known for many of its outdoor activities such as: Fishing, water skiing, swimming and boating. The average summer pool offers 1,630 surface acres to enjoy. There are four main recreational areas that can be found at the corners of the lake. Bluff View, Piedmont Park, and Webb Creek offer campsites, swim beaches, boat ramps, marinas and playgrounds whereas the Spillway Park offers campsites, a playground and new nature trail. Water temperatures and conditions of Clearwater Lake vary during the year. From January to March the mean is 43 degrees. From April through June when crappie fishing is popular due to spawning it rises to about 66 degrees. July - September the average reaches its highest peak at 88 degrees with good bass fishing at night in the deeper waters. The mid fall from October - December it begins dropping to around 55 degrees with the fish feeding in the shallow waters. A good reason to fish Clearwater is due to the fact that there is no closed season on any species of fish at Clearwater Lake which anglers find appealing for year round sport. The daily limits are as follows: 50 sunfish, 30 crappie, 15 white bass, 10 channel catfish, and 5 flatheads. Some of the more popular species to fish are: Bluegill & sunfish, catfish, largemouth, white bass, spotted bass, carp, and crappie. Walleye are not found in Clearwater but, below the dam in the Black River they can be found in nice numbers. Recently the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been working on high water facilities at all three of the main boat launching areas of Piedmont Park, Bluff View and Webb Creek for better access when the lake is above summer pool. Facilities:6 developed recreational areas 114 boundary miles 27 shoreline miles 400 campsites 100 picnic sites 9 launch ramps 3 swim areas 6 children play areas 1 courtesy dock 1 group camp area 1 visitor center 37 acre watchable wildlife area 3 nature trails 10 miles hiking trails.
Clearwater Lake is a reservoir on the Black River six miles from Piedmont, Missouri. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses Clearwater for flood control in the White and lower Mississippi River Basins.