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Has anyone fished there?

4K views 7 replies 8 participants last post by  WIcatter 
#1 ·
Hello everyone..
I have a question I work by both the old/new Chain of Rocks bridges on the mississippi river. I drive over the bridge multiply times a day. I never see anyone fishing from low head dam to north of the bridges. I always see people out bank fishing at chouteau island I just never see any boats fishing. It drives me crazy. Is it shallow? Is there no fish? Whats the deal with this stretch of water????
 
#2 ·
Tom, I don't know the answer to your question because I am not from that area. But I will say a boat just above a low head dam is a dangerous place to be a lot of the time. Many places have signs prohibiting boats from getting too close.
 
#3 ·
A few locals will actually jump the chain and fish below it - and jump it coming back up. I am nowhere near that brave to try it. I have fished down a ways and know others who do (above the dam) I have never fished as far down as by the old bridge. I've seen sandbars that show up and are quite large as the river drops. But running down the bank on the east side there are some decent fishing spots. Just proceed slowly and with caution the first few times if you're wanting to try it. As for south of the dam - I'm not sure how deep that water is. I'm sure there are navigable stretches, But I've never gone any further north than the diversion canal cutoff coming from downtown.
 
#4 ·
I've fished right below the chain of rocks a few times. It seems like I always catch something, but have never caught anything of any size down there. The water is very much like a washer machine and the bottom is very irregular below the rocks. There are also several mounds that come up near the surface of the water, so as the water gets low its an area to drive around slowly in for sure. It seems like good area for catfish to hang out, break in the current as it comes over the rocks with irregular bottom for them to tuck out of the current while waiting for food to come by. Downside is that its a wide area, not pinpointed like a scour hole.

Side note, I've heard that in February, you can catch Walleye there as they school up below there trying to get up river to spawn. Especially when the river is very low, and that time of year it generally is very low.

One last note, its not really shallow, I come up from downtown and have never seen any long shallow areas. Definitely some very large sandbars on the west side of the large island below the chain of rocks as well as the chute to the ease side of that island is usually almost completely dry as the water level drops, so I'd imagine it would be shallow running that side of the island if there is water.

One more last note, nothing to do with fishing, but I've seen tons of wildlife in this area fishing here, mostly, in the winter. Foxes, owls, eagles, coyotes, beaver, otters and deer. Seems pretty cool so close to downtown.
 
#5 ·
I would not recommend jumping the chain, it takes the water being pretty high 18 plus on the stl gauge for there to be enough water and then its extremely turbulent. Below the rock dam it can be difficult to navigate with a lot of the area being shallow. I haven't had much success fishing down that way but im sure if conditions were just right fish would be in there. I have heard of guys catching some walleye on the downtown side of the chain of rocks dam. They seem to be far between though.
 
#6 ·
I do not recommend jumping the chain or fishing directly above it. Not only is that water moving faster than you think but there are massive bedrock outcroppings that will destroy a boat in a second. You don't see them most of the time due to the turbulent water... they are there though.

Just in case you missed it the first time I wrote it... DON'T ATTEMPT TO JUMP THE CHAIN!
 
#7 ·
I have jumped the chain of rocks even during low water however I have a jet boat I wouldn't even conceder trying it with a prop boat. Acutely if you stay on the Missouri side its really not a jump its just choppy and turbulent. Now as you go to the Illinois side it drops off very steep and I wouldn't even try that with my boat.
 
#8 ·
"I've seen sandbars that show up and are quite large as the river drops."

Wether from shore or boat, this is something to consider. Make note of these sandbars, fish the upstream and especially the downstream areas of these bars. They are magnets for many types of fish. This works also when fishing from shore if you are close enough.
 
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