Lake Taneycomo facts for kids
Lake Taneycomo is a special lake in the Ozark Mountains of Taney County, Missouri. It's a man-made lake, also called a reservoir, built on the White River. The lake's name comes from the county it's in: Taney County, MO. It flows right through the city of Branson, Missouri. Lake Taneycomo is one of four reservoirs on the White River before it reaches the Mississippi River. The others are Beaver Lake, Table Rock Lake, and Bull Shoals Lake.
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How Lake Taneycomo Was Made
Lake Taneycomo became a wide lake when the Powersite Dam was finished in 1913. This dam is near Forsyth, Missouri. From 1913 until 1958, Lake Taneycomo was a warm water lake. It was known for its Smallmouth bass.
But things changed in 1958. That's when the United States Army Corps of Engineers finished building the Table Rock Dam. This new dam made Lake Taneycomo's water very cold, usually around 58 degrees Fahrenheit at its warmest. The warm water fish like bass were gone. However, this change turned Lake Taneycomo into a fantastic place for trout fishing.
A Home for Trout
In 1957, the Missouri Department of Conservation built the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. This hatchery raises a lot of rainbow and brown trout every year. It provides between 350,000 and 400,000 pounds of trout! Most of these fish are released into Lake Taneycomo.
In 2001, scientists from the Missouri Department of Conservation were studying the lake. They caught a huge trout that was 36.5 inches long. They thought it weighed about 37 pounds! They carefully released the giant fish back into the lake. Later, in 2009, a person named Scott Sandusky caught a Missouri state record Brown Trout. It was 37 inches long and weighed 28.8 pounds. He caught it using a spinning rod with a very light fishing line.
Fun Things to Do at Lake Taneycomo
Lake Taneycomo is interesting because it's both like a river and a lake. Near the Table Rock Dam, the water is shallow and very cold, around 48 degrees F. Here, it feels more like a river, and you can even go fishing from the banks. As you move downstream, the water gets warmer and the lake gets deeper. It can be more than 50 feet deep near the Powersite Dam in Forsyth.
The current in the lake can be very strong. This happens when the Table Rock Dam is making electricity. When the current is strong, the water temperature also drops, and fishing is usually excellent! All kinds of trout fishing are popular here, including fly fishing, using fishing lures, and using live bait. You can catch trout all year round.
Lake Taneycomo offers many fun activities. You can go hiking, enjoy the beautiful scenery, or even go hunting nearby. Of course, fishing is very popular, along with boating and waterskiing. When you visit Lake Taneycomo, you can also enjoy the many restaurants, shopping areas, and shows in the nearby city of Branson.
Images for kids
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Fog rising from Lake Taneycomo
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Lake Taneycomo as seen from an observation point on Route 165. The dam in the background holds back Table Rock Lake.
