Missisinnewa Ramps

[StevenF01]

I'm thinking about a trip to Missisinnewa. Any recommendations for ramps ?

Thank you,

[Cardinalddad002]

I use Person Mill most of the time and it is on the east end. Red Bridge is ok, but very steep ramp and my fat butt does not like walking up it at the end of the day.

[cubswin]

Miami is by the dam, France slocum is the other side of the lake near dam, then red bridge and pearsons mill.

Red bridge is a good area, but ramp is steep and long. I usually use pearsons or frances slocum depending on the time of the year.

[MLCA]

All the ramps are kinda steep imo, the main one by the dam is definitely the widest

[StevenF01]

Thanks guys. I went there Saturday. 1 keeper, 4 shorts, 2 drum, and 2 white bass. Saw lots of bait in the pockets.

[MLCA]

So still fishing like crap huh, looks like i didn't miss anything by not going there this season lol

[cubswin]

We had couple ounces shy of 13 today. Was multiple 10+ limits. Still a tough lake, where a 3 1/2 is a good fish. You’d think with all the shad fish would grow bigger. Those 13 3/4” fish are always like footballs.

[Last Smallmouth Hunter]

We had couple ounces shy of 13 today. Was multiple 10+ limits. Still a tough lake, where a 3 1/2 is a good fish. You’d think with all the shad fish would grow bigger. Those 13 3/4” fish are always like footballs.

What was big fish? And, did any smallmouth get weighed in and/or did you hear of any being caught? Thanks!

[cubswin]

What was big fish? And, did any smallmouth get weighed in and/or did you hear of any being caught? Thanks!

3.9 was big fish, couple others over 3. And no, hasn’t been a smallmouth weighed in all year. Don’t think there was any last year either.

[Last Smallmouth Hunter]

3.9 was big fish, couple others over 3. And no, hasn’t been a smallmouth weighed in all year. Don’t think there was any last year either.

Thanks! Every little bit of info helps as we work towards trying to get to the bottom of the problems on this lake.

[cubswin]

Thanks! Every little bit of info helps as we work towards trying to get to the bottom of the problems on this lake.

Before they did the dam repair smallmouth were pretty common. While it was down they got to be less common, and after it was flooded again and the huge explosion of white bass, shad, and largemouth it got pretty rare to catch a smallmouth. The other thing that started happening about that time was more algae blooms. Then of course there was the year it was flooded for much of the year, but smallmouth had already gotten pretty rare by that point, at least in my opinion.

The size structure in the river seems to have gotten better, as have the quantity, from what I can tell. I'm sure there are still smallmouth in the lake, I think I've caught two in last 3 years, and they were small. We used to go fish just for smallmouth fairly often in the lake because they are more fun by far.

Crappie fishing has seemed to stay about the same. Largemouth seem to be tougher last few years. And the big schools of white bass not as common. Still find some schools of white bass at times, but not like it used to be. Last couple of years have been a ton of shad in the lake, but I remember that being the case 40 years ago as well.

[Last Smallmouth Hunter]

Before they did the dam repair smallmouth were pretty common. While it was down they got to be less common, and after it was flooded again and the huge explosion of white bass, shad, and largemouth it got pretty rare to catch a smallmouth. The other thing that started happening about that time was more algae blooms. Then of course there was the year it was flooded for much of the year, but smallmouth had already gotten pretty rare by that point, at least in my opinion.

The size structure in the river seems to have gotten better, as have the quantity, from what I can tell. I'm sure there are still smallmouth in the lake, I think I've caught two in last 3 years, and they were small. We used to go fish just for smallmouth fairly often in the lake because they are more fun by far.

Crappie fishing has seemed to stay about the same. Largemouth seem to be tougher last few years. And the big schools of white bass not as common. Still find some schools of white bass at times, but not like it used to be. Last couple of years have been a ton of shad in the lake, but I remember that being the case 40 years ago as well.

Now I'm not a biologist by any means, just trying to learn all that I can ahead of next year's “fool's mission” of trying to locate smallmouth in the lake. Having said that, right now it appears to me that the lake is suffering from two major problems, turbidity and too low of a dissolved oxygen content.

The larger the fish in any species then the more oxygen they require, this possibly explaining why the lake has a good population of small largemouth but few of the larger fish. And since smallmouth are even more susceptible to these issues, and especially so as the water becomes warmer, then this might also help to explain the huge decline of this species in the lake and the presence of only small fish, and, it might also explain the huge increase in smallmouth size and numbers in the river where more oxygen and slightly cooler temps exist. Both events, the smallmouth decline in the lake and the smallmouth increase in the river, seem to have advanced at the same rates over the same period of years.

But thus far all of the evidence suggest that turbidity and the low level of dissolved oxygen, along with rising water temps, seem to be the main factors contributing to the decline in the lake. The apparent huge increase in the number of drum being caught in the shallower water columns is also a good indicator of these issues as well.

One thing is for certain, it's not going to get any better by itself as it can only continue to get worse as more erosion/sedimentation/pollutants continue to enter the lake. Truth is, it may already be too far gone to save and the fact that it is a flood control impoundment first and foremost certainly complicates the issue and seriously hinders any of the usual steps that might be taken.

There is a “tentative” fishery study planned for the lake around May of 2024 but I don't know exactly just how in-depth this will be? Hopefully it will be a very thorough study if and when that takes place. But even if the problems are eventually identified I'm not sure the dynamics of the situation will allow for any meaningful corrections.

[MLCA]

Don't worry the DNR is on top of it and will send all the fisherman another hunter survey this year again.

[brushsjigs]

They will be pulling the plug at the dam in a few more days. Red Bridge is the last ramp that will have water for launching.

[BackLash625]

So where do things go after you've come up with your findings? In other words, how do we get from identifying the problem(s) to getting our DNR to make changes/improve habitat?

[Last Smallmouth Hunter]

So where do things go after you've come up with your findings? In other words, how do we get from identifying the problem(s) to getting our DNR to make changes/improve habitat?

First, the DNR can't make any type of evaluations and/or effective improvements until they have a complete summary of all the existing problems, this is why the fishery study/project will be conducted in 2024, to make these evaluations and determinations.

Second, yes it is true that the lake is a flood control property first and foremost, however, public use of this lake has boomed in recent years with noticeable jumps in profitable revenue streams for the state, revenue streams that the state wants to maintain, so they have a direct vested interest in the lake and that fishery.


So it will have to be a State &Core joint effort, both parties having to agree to and arrange for any potential proposed improvements once all of the required fishery data has been collected and evaluated and those proposed remedies have been submitted. This, in general, is the required process.

[StevenF01]

I was there Saturday. I used the Miami ramp. It was okay. I caught a small limit on a topwater. When that front came through, the bite died for me. When will the drawdown start ?

[cubswin]

I was there Saturday. I used the Miami ramp. It was okay. I caught a small limit on a topwater. When that front came through, the bite died for me. When will the drawdown start ?

Letting water out now, down about 6” from last week.

[StevenF01]

Thanks for the update.

[cubswin]

Thanks for the update.

Fished it saturday and sunday. Bite was fairly good both days, though on saturday they were more willing to hit a moving bait. Think I caught 20 or so between both days, mostly 14" or bigger, in about 6-7 hours of total fishing time.

Biggest was 3lbs.