We drove back out to Table Rock Lake today. On the way we stopped at a scenic overlook on Historic State Highway 165. From the overlook you can see the White River, the Table Rock Dam, and Branson laid out below.
We stopped at the Visitor Center and rode our bikes on the Lakeshore Trail again. It is a very popular place on a Saturday, and we had to watch out for walkers, especially little kids on the trail.
Next we drove across the dam and went to see the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. It's a fascinating place to visit. Running a fish hatchery is way more complex and work intensive than we would have thought! This one raises rainbow trout and brown trout, mostly for release into Lake Taneycomo. The trout are not native to Missouri, but when Table Rock Dam was built, it made the lake a cold water lake because the water released from the dam comes from the deep tailwaters of Table Rock Lake averages 48°. Overnight that decimated the bass and crappie population, but made the lake a great habitat for trout.
The rainbow trout are raised in concrete raceways, protected by netting to discourage the herons and other predators who see the hatchery as an all-you-can-eat buffet.
After we toured the hatchery, we took a short hike along the shoreline. We saw anglers in boats and wading in the water like this one.
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