Interactive Online Maps Aid Anglers

Anglers across Missouri are lining the lake shores once again for spring fishing. Now there's a new way to find out where the fish are biting.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has a new online, interactive map of several regional lakes.  They pin-point these "fish-attracting" habitats that are sure to give anglers a better chance of catching "the big one".

A lot of anglers know about these man-made habitats that are scattered around the lakes, made of brush and stumps. 

But anglers either had to motor around the lake until they found the structures, or they had to pickup paper copies of the maps.

Now all you have to do is go online, write down the global positioning satellite coordinates for the structures, and plug them into a fish finder.

Lake managers have posted interactive coordinates for Stockton, Fellows, Table Rock, and Pomme de Terre Lakes.

That allows people to look at aerial photos of the lakes to find the habitats and more, says Matt Mauck with the Department of Conservation, "To further zoom in to different arms of the lake. See where they are at in relation to docks, in relation to parks and boat ramps as well."

There is also a feature on the maps to shows you the exact distance between underwater habitats, if you move the cursor from one to another.