Lake Level: currently 670.57 and rising. Expected to crest at 676.3 on May 14th as of right now based on previous rainfall and lake levels.
Surface temperature: mostly in the low to mid 60’s depending on where you go.
VISIBILITY- Very poor in the back of the creeks, poor to fair in the creek arms, clear on the main lake.

The lake has risen 19 feet in the last few weeks. We experienced 11 inches of rain in a 36-hour period last week. It jumped 10-12 feet in 4 days.

However, the bass fishing has been excellent, even with the lake rising. It is some of the best I have seen since the mid 90’s. The water level has not affected the catching much. It has just affected where they are. It seems that the most catchable fish are still on the old shoreline around 20 to 30 feet of water. There are still some fish shallow but they are hard to get to unless you are throwing some type of bait that runs on the surface, or runs just below the surface. With the lake high, there is a lot of brush to get tangled in if you use baits that don’t stay shallow or on the surface.

THE SPAWN- It should be one of the best ever since the water is up in the brush. I know the high water causes a lot of problems but there is a silver lining in that dark cloud. The best information I can gather is that the Smallmouth are done, the Largemouth are somewhere in the middle and the Spots are just starting. Of course this will vary on whom you talk to. This opinion is based on the fish being cleaned and if they still have eggs.

BASS PATTERNS- The biggest change since the water went up is where they are located. They moved mostly deeper.

These are the 3 top patterns right now.

Carolina rigging a lizard. This is working mostly for Largemouth and Spotted bass. They are mostly using the green colors with a 2 to 4 foot drop. They are using these in 25 to 35 feet of water mostly on the steeper chunk rock banks and channel swings.

Crawfish or green colored tube tubes dragged on the gravel flats is producing some good Smallmouth Bass. These fish are mostly in 20 to 35 feet of water on the gravel rounded points and flats.

Live minnows with a small split shot in 20 to 35 feet of water is producing all species of bass.

These patterns are also starting to produce results.

Other plastic baits such as meatheads, French fry worms, and 4 inch worms. The basic green or brown colors will work. These are Carolina rigged with a 2 to 4 foot drop jut like the lizards pattern above.

Top water flukes- shad colored around the brush in shallow water.

Wacky rigged bubble gum plastic worms with no weight in shallow water

Spinner baits- These were working very well when the water was rising and the color was brown. They have slowed down a little bit.

WALLEYE- They are ONLY biting at night right now. I have seen some nice stringers and one 11 pounder. I haven’t seen many caught in the day or talked to anybody that is catching them in the day. They are only catching them in the middle of the night trolling perch colored crank baits in 20 to 30 feet of water off of the gravel main lake points. Everything that has been tried in the day has not worked.

WHITE BASS- There has been a few caught here and there. There have also been the sporadic sightings of the classic white bass surfacing back in the creeks over the last few weeks. However, there has not been the classic white bass run of the past. I would expect to be able to see people catch them at night under the lights any time now.

CRAPPIE- Same deal on the crappie. There are very few being reported or being caught. I have never seen the crappie fishing any good in the 32 years I have been here when the lake is moving up or down. I don’t know where they go or what they do. They still have to eat but I haven’t seen many being caught. Of course, not many people show off their crappie and the guides are catching bass too easy to be crappie fishing. So- we will see what happens when the lake stabilizes.

According to AmerenUE the current lake level is 658.89 with medium generation scheduled for the next three days, which should give the lake a level of 658.5 by Friday, May 14th. The lake is clearing and has good color with visibility ranging between 3 to 8 feet. There are some smaller coves off the main Osage River that are a little dirtier than the larger coves, but overall the color is perfect. The Grand Glaize, Gravois, Big and Little Niangua Rivers are clear with visibility ranging from 3 to 8 feet. The water temperature taken by AmerenUE at Bagnell Dam is reported to be 71degrees, however in some of the creeks and coves the surface temperature get as high as 75 degrees, especially in the afternoon. The lake has dropped a few inches in the past few days, but nothing drastic.

LARGEMOUTH BASS - GOOD Some bass have spawned and others are still on the beds. The best pattern of late has been pitching tubes (green pumpkin and black/red flake), the Melton jig n trailer (brown/orange, brown/green pumpkin and black/blue) and the Chomper (dark melon and green pumpkin) behind boat docks in the creeks and coves with a mixture of pea gravel and chunk rock. The Carolina rigged Baby Brush Hog and American fries (green pumpkin and watermelon red) seems to be taking more keepers than the 6 inch lizard worked off the points of creek arm cuts and later in the day straight down the middle of the cuts in 8 to 10 feet of water. The trick worm and Senko ( white, bubble gum and green. pumpkin ) are taking good keepers worked around boat docks and off spawning banks. There have been reports that the Texas rigged 6 and 7 inch worm (blue/fleck and camo) have been producing some keepers on the same type of banks and cuts. The Zara Spook and Pop "R" are producing some keepers early off creek arm points and behind the cables of boat docks, but seem to quit later in the day. The bass have been stubborn since going on the beds, but once a pattern is developed and you stick with that pattern a good limit is possible.

SPOTTED BASS (KENTUCKY) -FAIR A few 14 to 16 inch spots are being caught, but the majority being caught are 12 to 13 inches. The jig n trailer and Chomper worked off the inside of main lake points and pea gravel banks in the creeks.

CRAPPIE - FAIR The crappie have really slowed down the last few days. The majority of crappie caught are coming out of 6 to 10 feet of water and are averaging 8 to 9 inches. The best bite seems to be minnows tipped with Crappie Nibbles. Tube and marabou jigs, Road Runners are producing, but not as well as minnows.

CATFISH - EXCELLENT The best bite has been blues and flatheads on jugs baited with cut shad, perch and shrimp. Tight lining with stink bait, shrimp, hot dog chunks and nightcrawlers is producing channels and blues in the coves in 8 to 12 feet of water.

BLUEGIlL - GOOD The bluegill are on the seawalls and around docks in 3 to 10 feet of water. Red wigglers, nightcrawlers and wax worms (grubs) will produce some nice size bluegills early in the morning and late afternoon and evening.

Lake Level : 606.74
Last Weeks Lake Level: 606.59
Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Dingy - Clearing
Surface Water Temp: 70 - 74 degrees

The crappie spawn is continuing. Some large females have been caught that had empty egg sacs, while some still have eggs that are ready to drop. A lot of small crappie are being caught, in this case you may drop back to deeper water and try finding the larger fish or you can move on till you find them. If you catch some larger crappie work the same pattern in the area, without settling down in one place too long. The upper branches have been producing crappie, with them hanging out around log jams and lay downs. If you find a good cove you can catch a limit of good size crappie. Small pockets where the water runs off the banks, can be a good place to find them. Some of the most unlikely looking coves are producing, look for gravel banks that have a fair amount of cover in it. The best bait has been minnows, or minnow tipped jigs fished about 12 – 18 inches under a bobber. The best jig color has been black and chartreuse. Cast very close to shore while working your way around the cove, the more structure the better. An occasional twitch of your bobber can help to entice a crappie to strike if it is in the area. Fortunately the shad spawn is coinciding with the crappie spawn, which means the Corp of Engineers will try to maintain the current lake level where it is, baring any major downpours.

Be respectful of all conservation laws concerning fishing, particularly daily and possession limits. The conservation agents and the water patrol are out enforcing the laws. Even if I knew the conservation laws in detail I would not attempt to cover them here. However there are two points that I would like to mention. At Mark Twain the daily limit for crappie is 15. (There is no length limit on crappie at Twain). And each fishermen's catch of crappie must be kept separately identifiable. These are two of the most common violations when crappie fishing is good.

The bass fishing has been very good. Bass continue to be caught on a steady basis, most are shorts however legal size bass are also being caught. Fishermen have been catching bass very close to the banks around lay downs and brush piles in shallow water about 2 - 3 feet deep. White or chartreuse spinner baits. Crappie fishermen have been catching a lot of small bass near the banks using minnows. Main lake and secondary points throughout most of the lake have been good.

Catfishing continues to be good. Flatheads and Blues have been the predominate catch on trotlines using perch or goldfish, setting their lines about 8 - 10 feet deep near cove entrances and river channels. Rod and reel fishermen are reporting some success using nightcrawlers or chicken livers, fishing near wind blown banks. The best catfishing has been out of the South Fork and Middle Forks. 

Temperature: 71   Level: full pool Clarity: dingy

Channel Catfish good using live baits