CAMDENTON, Mo. — With snow on the ground and a chill in the air, most lake area residents aren’t thinking of fishing. But on Mar. 1, new catfish regulations went into effect on Lake of the Ozarks and its tributaries and Truman Lake and its tributaries.
“Lake of the Ozarks and Truman Lake have a long history of providing high quality fishing for blue catfish,” said Miller County Conservation Agent Eric Swainston. “Over time, the high harvest rate of intermediate- to large-size blue catfish has resulted in a decline of the quality of fishing for blue cats in these lakes. The changes have been researched and results show these changes will improve the blue catfish population structure.”
This means blue catfish fishing will improve, Swainston said. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) had been concerned about the potential over-harvest of these fish for several years. Anglers have also expressed concerns over the lack of larger-sized fish.
The changes in the regulations for Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Lake and their tributaries include: changing the daily limit from five blue catfish to 10 blue catfish (the possession limit remains at 10). Of those 10 blue catfish of the daily limit, no more than two can be longer than 34 inches. There is now also a protected slot length of 26” to 34”. Any blue catfish caught on these waterways that fits in this slot, must be released unharmed immediately. Swainston reminded anglers when measuring, the total length is measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail, with the fish laid flat on a ruler, the mouth closed and the tail lobes pressed together.
“The protected slot limit allows those blue catfish that are a length where growth is relatively fast and natural mortality is low to reach their potential size. This regulation change still allows adequate harvest of blue catfish of up to nearly seven pounds, which is a size frequently sought by anglers. It also encourages additional harvest of fish under the slot limit in order to improve growth rates, while still allowing harvest above the slot limit,” Swainston said.
Anglers will need to measure all blue catfish they catch and desire to keep, making sure they do not fall within the protected length limit. Anglers must also remember that culling of blue catfish is not allowed. Unless a fish is immediately released unharmed, it becomes part of your daily limit and cannot be traded out for a larger fish that is caught later, Swainston said.
The public had an input/comment period on the regulation change, with six public meetings held. During the comment period, MDC received 130 comments. Those voicing support for the change shared their concerns regarding the decline in the average size blue catfish taken from these lakes. Many anglers indicated they wanted to see larger, trophy-sized blue catfish. Opposition to the changes indicated the blue catfish within the restricted slot limit are the best to eat and represent a major source of food for many. Those opposing the changes also indicated there are plenty of fish in those lakes and enforcing a regulation could hurt the local economy and tourism.
“After carefully reviewing all the comments, the Conservation Commission voiced unanimous support for the regulation change,” Swainston said. “In regards to negative impact on tourism and the local economy, Missouri is known nationally for its fishery resources. Historically, this type of regulation change has resulted in improved fishing opportunities and increased tourism.”
The regulations will protect about 15 percent of the blue catfish population. The real impact of the change will begin in about seven or eight years, when the MDC will do a post-regulation survey to determine its success.
