Overall Rating
Gross
This is an artificial lake created by a lead mining company in the past. There are elevated levels of lead in the soil everywhere. People are still waiting for the EPA to do something about it since this health risk was discovered by the agency in 2005. This lake is a hazard. There are heroin needles, glass, garbage, all along the shore lines. The boat dock area charges 3.00 for use. Fishing here is a robbery risk, people walking around like zombies from drugs and alcohol, stray dogs, horse flys, geese droppings, weird fungal plants, and the decomposed fish mysteriously killed in the water. I caught minnows, and one fish (lived out here for 7 years). The one fish I caught had parasites (long worms) living in it while it was still alive. I thought about cleaning the fish good, then cooking it on high heat to kill any potential parasite eggs so I dont ingest them. Then I got weirded out and just threw the fish in the trash. The lake is surrounded on 3 sides by main residential roads, so a lot of traffic going by, which would not bother me if the roads were farther away from the lake. You will hear horrors from the neighborhood while fishing, domestic fights, goats crying, dogs barking non stop, drug deals and more. The wind travels between the hills and sometimes down them, creating strong pressure, which gathers the scents of peoples yards and houses pushing it towards you. Everyone in this city is very sleepy, and the smell of mold and fecal matter creates an unpleasant fishing experience. Also the bridge/dam out here is the oldest dam in Missouri, and it is in need of repair. I see a lot of frustrated fisherman leave empty handed, It would be nice if the DNR CAN STOCK THIS LAKE WITH FISH! But they wont. One last thing, the roads are horrible, in fact they are dirt roads, dirt roads with holes, and cliffs, and jagged uneven rifts, when it rains the roads become inoperable in some areas. You have to drive like 2mph consistently every so often to avoid damaging your vehicle.
