Attention Anglers! You'll soon have a new lake to fish near Dexter.

The Department of Conservation has completed the filling of Cypress Lake. This 95-acre lake is located on the Otter Slough Conservation Area about 10 miles southwest of Dexter on Highway ZZ.

This month, the lake will be stocked with fingerling bluegill, redear sunfish and channel catfish. In June, largemouth bass and black crappie will be stocked. In addition, approximately 100,000 fathead minnows will be stocked in March to provide food for the bass and crappie.

Cypress Lake will be closed to fishing for approximately three years to allow the fish populations to become established. Anglers are encouraged not to stock any fish on their own. This could interfere with the developing fish populations and delay the opening of the lake.

Facilities at Cypress Lake include a concrete boat ramp, covered fishing dock, privies, three fishing jetties (500, 1,000 and 1,500 feet long) and a gravel parking lot. The boat ramp, dock and privies are all disabled-angler accessible.

Cypress Lake is 10 feet deep, has levees on all sides, and was filled by pumping from wells. The lake has a diversity of fish habitats which include riprap along the entire shoreline, three underwater islands, which are near each fishing jetty, and 32 hardwood brushpiles.

Members of the Cape Girardeau Nine-Point-Nine Bass Club, Americorps and Division of Youth Services assisted with the construction and placement of Christmas tree brushpiles and stake beds. There are 350 Christmas tree brushpiles and seven large stake beds. Stake beds are constructed of 6-foot long, 2x2 hardwood stakes that are hammered into the ground on 1x1 centers.

For further information concerning Cypress Lake, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation at 290-5730.

Paul Cieslewicz is a fisheries management biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.