Go Fish! Put Dinner on the Table By Angling for the Big One at a Neighborhood Lake

If you’re hungry for catfish or trout, the Missouri Department of Conservation has a suggestion. Go fish.

Fishing is more popular than ever, especially in the St Louis, Jefferson and St. Charles counties.

The reason - local lakes and streams are easily accessible and fishing makes an excellent outdoor pastime all ages can enjoy. In fact the best place to fish could be in your own neighborhood. According to Kevin Meneau, the Missouri Department of Conservation Fisheries Management Biologist, people often look to fish close to home because it’s convenient.

“On a per acre basis, St. Louis area urban lakes received 15 percent more fishing pressure than higher profile lakes such as Lake of the Ozarks,” said Meneau. 

Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Urban Fishing Program encompasses 27 local lakes that provide close-to-home fishing opportunities. These urban lakes are managed by the MDC and are regularly stocked through the summer with a variety of species from catfish and largemouth bass to crappie and trout. The Fish Stocking Hotline (636-300-9651) can provide stocking information about all lakes in the MDC urban lake program. 

Rivers and streams also offer anglers unique fishing experiences. The Upper Mississippi alone offers 102 miles of shoreline that borders Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis counties. The Meramec River is a favorite river with anglers that feature several boat accesses at several parks, such as those in Arnold at Flamm City and at St. Louis County's George Winter Park, in the

After a day of successful fishing and your catch was not released, take the time to properly clean your fish. The Missouri Department of Conservation offers how-to information to help anglers master the process.

While fish can be cleaned in the field, cleaning is easier if done at fishing parks that provide fish cleaning stations with water for rinsing fish. Tools needed include a sharp knife, a scaler and a glove to protect your hand and help grip the fish. Most anglers prefer to fillet and skin crappie. Remove the scales by scraping the skin with a dull knife, a spoon or an inexpensive scaling tool. Here’s a few recommended fish cleaning techniques to make the task easlier.

* Pan-dressing: Pan-dress fish by cutting along the sides of the fins on the back and behind the stomach and pulling them out. Cut off the head, then slit the belly and scrape out the entrails.

* Large fish filleting: Fillet larger fish by cutting down to the backbone behind the head and sliding the knife blade with a sawing motion toward the tail. Slice out the rib bones from top to bottom.

* Skinning: Skin fillets by cutting down to the skin near the tail, turning the knife blade and, pulling firmly on the tail section, sliding and sawing the knife between the skin and the flesh.

June 9 and 10 is Missouri’s Free Fishing Weekend. This is your chance to fish without a fishing license, tag or permit. So grab or borrow a pole and give fishing a try.  If you’re lucky and catch the big one, give one of the following recipes a try from the Missouri Department Conservation’s cookbook, Cooking Wild In Missouri.