Fishing in Taney County
The bodies of water of Taney County provide very good fishing opportunities. The game fish of the area are the large mouth bass, the small mouth bass, the rock bass, the white bass, the crappie, the sun perch, the blue gill, the walleye, the channel catfish and the rainbow and brown trout (Rafferty 39). The rivers of the area contain most of the same fish.
There are two types of fish that residents of Taney County seem especially fond of or partial to. One of these is the white bass. In early spring white bass spawn and provide excellent fishing. Once word spreads that the white bass are "running" the banks of the lakes and rivers can be literally lined with people. Forsyth is well known for its annual fish fry during the running of the white bass.
Another fish that is popular with the people of the area, and maybe no one else, is the sucker. Suckers are unlike other fish in that they are 
not generally caught on a baited hook. Suckers are usually snagged or gigged. Nongame fish stream snagging, such as sucker grabbing, is open from March 15 to May 15. Although not pretty to look at, the suckers provide some of the best tasting meat of any fish.
There are many regulations and seasons that go along with fishing in the Ozarks region. Trout parks are open for fishing from March 1 to October 31. Trout management areas are open all year for fisherman.
Black bass are open season in streams from May 22 to February 29. They can be fished in impoundments at any time of the year. (These were the dates for the 1998-99 seasons.)
Current seasons and regulations can be obtained from the Conservation Department.
The Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery
The Shepherd of the Hills fish hatchery is Missouri's largest cold-water facility for raising rainbow and brown trout. The hatchery staff report that the hatchery releases around 25,000 brown trout and 800,000 rainbow trout during the course of one year.
The hatchery is located on Highway 165 just south of Branson, below the dam at Table Rock Lake. There is also a visitor center located at the hatchery.
The hours are nine to five April 1 through October 31, and nine to six May 25 through September 7.
Guided tours are given on the hour from ten to two during the weekdays, from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Self-guided tours are available the rest of the year.
Works Cited
Photograph of catfish from Larry Dablemont Collection, courtesy of Gaye Lisby, Branson Living Magazine
Photograph of fishing boat from Cahill Collection, courtesy of Gaye Lisby, Branson Living Magazine
Photographs of fishing and fish hatchery taken by Aaron Dalton
Rafferty, Milton. The Ozarks Outdoors: A Guide for Fisherman, Hunters, and Tourists. Norman, OK: U of Oklahoma P, 1985, pp. 39, 52-55.
