Lock and Dam #9

[FinsnFur]

Took a road trip today and drove up to the lock and dam looking for some decent fishing.
I never found any fish, and the water is dropping every day.

But I did stop and nose around the lock for a while. The whole time I've lived here with all these locks and dams and this is the very first time I've ever went down there and actually watched what took place. It was kinda cool.

The dam itself going across the Mississippi.



Closing the lock wall once all the motor boats were inside.



The water level with the gates closed



The water level raised to match the other side now.


and now the other side opens up letting them all out.


You cant see the motor boats cause the keeper lines them all up along side lock wall and drops them a rope so they dont drift out in the path of the gates.

Its tough to see the water level gauge in the pics, but they were raising the lock up and down 3 feet to let people in and out. 9 foot to 12 foot.

[alscalls]

Do they let you fish below the dam Like here on the OHIO?
We get some nice fish there when the water is clear and the bait is running. Somedays the cast net is thrown once and could be 300 shad and shiners for bait....
Water has been up for weeks now and I am chomping at the bit to go......

[FinsnFur]

Yeah we can fish below it.
In the second pic there, (our side) when the Walleyes are running you could literally walk across the channel by using the boats for a board walk, it gets that thick.

[alscalls]

We aint allowed a boat accept to go through the lock way down stream on the Ohio side.....
A guy could get killed in the current....

[FinsnFur]

Well yeah thats true with any dam.
They have a  boundry zone that the boats need to stay out of here. If you get too close, they light the horns up and you get one helluva fine.

[alscalls]

They built fishing areas from shore here .......I just wondered if it was the same there?.....