Bull Shoals, AR. – The Missouri Department of Conservation partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the habitat improvements in the Table Rocka and Bull Shoals reservoirs. A total of 751 habitat structures were improved or newly built on Table Rock and 60 habitats were improved or built on Bull Shoals. All this work was funded with a grant received by Bass Pro Shop in 2022 to replenish and establish fish habitat sites.
Underwater brush piles were added to attract more fish. It can provide protective cover and nursery habitats for young, small fish, as well as, attract larger sportfish types such as crappie and bass.
The origins of the habitat improvement project at Table Rock and Bull Shoals can be traced to a project that went from 2007 to 2013. This project resulted in the establishment of 2,024 fish habitat structures at Table Rock and 193 in Bull Shoals.
In a press release, MDC Fisheries Biologist Shne Bush stated, “This project builds upon a long-standing public/private partnership in the Missouri Ozarks to improve and restore fish habitat. This grant has provided an excellent opportunity to proactively maintain and enhance fish habitat for two of the most popular sport fisheries in the Midwest. The work that has been accomplished on these projects has served as a national example of sustaining and improving reservoir sport fish populations through large-scale habitat improvements.”
The GPS locations for these sites can be found on the MDC website at https://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/where-fish. Other fishing information can be found at mdc.mo.gov.
