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Lake Ozark, Missouri
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4935 Robin's Circle
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Jaws, the Freshwater Version: By Mike Gillespie
Lake of the Ozarks   Return to History Home

Over the years rumors have persisted of giant catfish seen in the vicinity of the Bagnell Dam. According to the yarns, these fish--as large as a man--were seen in deep water by divers working on the intake gates of the dam. But reason would seem to suggest otherwise. Below a certain depth there is too little oxygen in the water for fish to survive, and the deep water is very cold.

I decided to check with the Missouri Department of Conservation. They kept no records of sightings, but they did provide a list of the biggest fish caught in the Lake of the Ozarks. The largest catfish weighed 103 pounds. The largest fish of any kind caught at the lake was a 134 pound paddlefish. So that seemed to settle the matter.

Except for one thing.

Several years ago, one of the stops along the Bagnell Dam strip was a site called the Missouri Aquarium. This aquarium featured a five-foot long catfish. It was caught in the lake. Now a five-foot catfish is a big fish. But there was something even more unusual about this fish. It had bite marks around its middle. Something very large had tried to eat this fish.

Enjoy your swim.



© 2000 by Michael Gillespie. All rights reserved.

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