Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

Pound for pound, the feisty little bluegill is a real scrapper, and it can be found just about everywhere. Most waters will hold at least a few 'gills, but there aren't many where they'll top the 9- or 10-inch mark. A bluegill that can fill the palm of your hand is a beautiful sight.

What should anglers look for when they're searching for the Show-Me State's whopper-sized 'gills?

"A good bluegill lake will have a few things in common," said Tory Mason, a fish management biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation's Northwest Regional Office. "There's an 80 or 90 percent chance that a lake meeting all of these criteria will be a good one. The three elements of a good bluegill lake are a decent of amount of food, a really high population of largemouth bass and a watershed that doesn't allow a lot of run-off from the surrounding land."

The right amount of vegetation sets the stage for zoöplankton production and a healthy food chain. Big bass keep the numbers of bluegills in check and prevent stunting. A watershed with no more than 20 acres of land per acre of water shouldn't have excessive siltation and poor water quality.

To organize the MDC's interest in establishing good bluegill fisheries, the "Increasing Angling Oppor- tunities for Large Bluegill in Missouri's Public Impoundments" management plan was implemented.

"Quality bluegill fishing in public lakes seems to be declining," said fisheries management biologist Joseph Bonneau, "and good bluegill angling can be hard to come by. We found that only 3 percent of our lakes are producing bluegill that measure 9 inches. The problem is that we don't have many lakes that meet all or most of the characteristics that make for good bluegill waters, and every year more lakes are going in the wrong direction."

The MDC focused on lakes that showed promise, and went from there -- and it's working.

Bluegills usually start spawning in May or June when the water temperatures exceed 70 degrees. The nests are found in shallow along the shoreline, and there, anglers can target them with anything from good ol' earthworms to dry flies. Big bulls are guarding the nests during May and the early part of June and can provide some of the best panfishing of the year.

Here's a look at a few of the lakes that are holding lots of big 'gills for 2007.

OBACCO HILLS LAKE
"We do have some lakes that are producing very good bluegill fishing and Tobacco Hills is one of them," said the MDC's Bonneau. "This is a lake that produces some very good bluegill fishing."