Fellows Lake is an source of water for the city of

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

. The lake was created by the impoundment of the

Little Sac River The Little Sac River is a stream in Greene, Polk and Dade counties the Ozarks of southwest Missouri, U.S.A. The stream source coordinates are: and the confluence coordinates are: . The Little Sac headwaters start with an intermittent stream jus ...

behind the Fellows Lake Dam. The dam was originally constructed in 1955 and modified in 1991. The earthen and rock dam stands 102 feet high. It is 1,500 feet long at its crest and impounds a maximum capacity of 36,368

acre-feet The acre-foot is a non- SI unit of volume equal to about commonly used in the United States in reference to large-scale water resources, such as reservoirs, aqueducts, canals, sewer flow capacity, irrigation water, and river flows. An acre-f ...

. Fellows Lake is managed cooperatively by City Utilities of Springfield and the Missouri Department of Conservation. The lake is also developing into one of the state's premier fisheries of

Muskellunge The muskellunge ''(Esox masquinongy)'', often shortened to muskie, musky or lunge is a species of large freshwater predatory fish native to North America. It is the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae. Origin of name The name "muskellun ...

. In 2016, the largest muskie sampled by the Missouri Department of Conservation in their annual fish survey was 46 inches long.

Recreational activities

Due to its proximity to Springfield, Fellows Lake has an array of public areas for picnicking, barbecuing, and gathering places. The park surrounding the lake to the north houses one large pavilion on a large open grass area which is frequently used by kite-fliers. The lake also houses two major boat docks and one year-round marina for boat storage and kayak rental. A permit is required to launch a boat. There is also a small remote control airplane field run by the Springfield RC Club one mile (1.6 km) north of the lake. Sport fishing opportunities include largemouth bass, black and white

crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

, walleye, muskie, and white bass. Sunfish, carp, and perch are frequently caught. Muskies are stocked yearly by the conservation department. Fellows Lake is in the midst of installation of a multiple mile walking and biking trail now nearly complete and virtually circumferential with the exception of the southeast arm of the lake.

Condtion

The marina was inspected by city engineers and found that the metal bracing substructure was deteriorated and the 50 year old boat dock needs to be replaced. The City of Springfield intends to update the boat dock, build new campsites and a biking trail around the whole of the lake.

References

External links

Springfield RC ClubSpringfield Park Board

Protected areas of Greene County, Missouri Buildings and structures in Greene County, Missouri Reservoirs in Missouri Dams in Missouri United States local public utility dams Bodies of water of Greene County, Missouri 1955 establishments in Missouri {{authority control