From The Missouri Department Of Conservation

Castor River, Lake Girardeau, and Wappapello Lake seem to be your best bets for catching fish in the last weeks of the season.

SOUTHEAST REGION (573) 290-5858

    LAKES

Clearwater Lake: 78 degrees, normal, clear; crappie fair while trolling; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/14/2011)

Council Bluff: 73 degrees, normal, clear; largemouth bass fair on topwater lures and dark colored soft plastic lures; channel catfish fair on liver and worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/14/2011)

Cypress Lake: 75 degrees, normal, dingy; crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 5'-6' depths; bluegill and redear sunfish fair on crickets, small jigs and small pieces of worms; largemouth bass slow on spinnerbaits, jigs, and plastic worms; channel catfish slow on worms and stinkbaits. (Report made on 9/14/2011)

Duck Creek:73 degrees, normal, clear; largemouth bass fair on plastic worms and topwater lures; bluegill fair on crickets and jigs; channel catfish good on worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/14/2011)

Lake Girardeau: normal, clear; channel catfish fair on worms; all other species fair. (Report made on 9/14/2011)

Perry County Lake: 74 degrees, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/15/2011)

Robert DeLaney Lake: 76 degrees, normal, all species slow. (Report made on 9/15/2011)

Wappapello: normal, black bass good on crankbaits and plastic worms; crappie good on minnows and jigs; bluegill fair on crickets and worms along shoreline;  all other species slow.

Anglers should note the 9" minimum length regulation for crappie on Wappapello Lake. All areas around the lake are now open since the lake water level has dropped.  Call the Wappapello Lake Recreation Hotline for updates at 573-222-8139. (Report made on 9/14/2011)

   RIVERS

Black River (near Annapolis):71 degrees, low, clear; all species slow. (Report made on 9/14/2011)

Castor River (above Zalma): low, clear; all species good. (Report made on 9/14/2011)

Lower Black River (Clearwater Dam): normal, dingy; black bass fair on topwater lures and minnows; white bass fair on grub jigs; channel catfish fair on live bait and cut bait; all other species slow.

There have been some instances of paddlefish being caught and hooked in the mouth while using traditional fishing methods as of late.  Paddlefish are closed to taking by any method in the Black River except from March 15 through April 30.  If a paddlefish is caught outside of those specified dates it must be released immediately. (Report made on 9/15/2011)

Mississippi (below Charleston): muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/15/2011)

Mississippi River (Cape Girardeau): dingy; channel catfish fair on worms and cut bait; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/14/2011)

St. Francis (above Wappapello): low, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/14/2011)

St. Francis (below Wappapello): low, dingy; channel catfish good on stinkbait, liver and worms; flathead catfish good on live bait, small green sunfish and goldfish; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/15/2011)