Winter Brushpile Installation in Small Missouri Reservoirs

Missouri has over 300,000 natural and man-made water bodies, with over 900 managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation.  Most of these lakes are small and provide public fishing for species such as largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie and channel catfish.  Large brush piles were installed in the winter on ice covered lakes in Northwest Missouri to help increase angler success, provide spawning habitat, increase natural recruitment, and add productive habitat in aging reservoirs.  Duck bill anchors were used to anchor large groups of cedar and hardwood trees placed at depths of 1–3 m.  This winter time anchoring system requires minimal resources compared to open water brush pile work while still achieving the goal of increasing hard woody cover in lakes and reservoirs.   Evaluations of fish communities and existing structures were done post-installation.  Most woody structures concentrated fish and improved angling.   Anecdotal evidence showed an increase in production of fish and forage organisms.