Catfish No Report

Hybrids No Report

Crappie No Report

WALLEYE- The walleye bite is on. The night crawler with a split shot or crawler harness in 15 to 25 feet of water is one of the best patterns. They are using shallow running stick baits- mostly rogues- in various depths depending on what type of structure you are fishing. The best colors are chartreuse, yellow, bluegill, perch or purple. They are also catching lots of walleye trolling deep diving crank baits and deep diving stick baits during the day. The walleye are shallow during the early morning and afternoon. They are deeper in the day so deeper diving baits are necessary.

WHITE BASS- not much reported except under lights at night with minnows in 20 to 35 feet of water.

CRAPPIE- same thing as the white bass.

CATFISH- The catfish are doing well on jug lines, trot lines and limb lines. We have seen several good catches and stringers. Most of the fish are in shallow water and being caught on the same bait- perch, dead shad, liver, stink bait, etc.

Crappie- No Report

Catfish -No Report

Bass No Report

Crappie good- small minnows, shallow water

Bass slow

AmerenUE reports the current lake level at 659.52 with heavy generation scheduled for the next three days, which should give the lake a level of 659.6 by Friday, July 9th. The lake is clear with a surface water temperature between 77 to 79 degrees. There is still some debris floating in the Osage arm and in some of the larger creeks. There were very few anglers, if any, fishing this holiday weekend because of all the recreational boaters, but the patterns haven't changed to speak of, other than the bass have moved a little tighter to the brush piles.

LARGEMOUTH BASS - EXCELLENT The bass are in the deeper brush piles from 18 to 25 feet in the creeks, the deeper main lake bluff pockets and on the inside of the main lake points. The 10 and 11 inch plastic worm and Brush Hog (black/red neon, June bug, tequila sunrise and blue fleck) Texas rigged with 5/16 and 3/8 ounce slip sinker worked slow in the brush piles has been the most consistent bite. The day bite is super slow, but the night bite has been great. There have been some good keepers caught after midnight by flipping or pitching plastic worms, tubes and the Melton Jig n trailer (black/blue or black) behind the deeper docks with brush in 6 to 10 feet of water.

SPOTTED BASS (KENTUCKY) - FAIR The spots are hanging around the windy main lake wave breakers and docks. The best bite and method is working medium diving crankbaits, gitzits and Flukes next to the structure. Small crawdads pitched weightless around the breakers and docks is also producing. Working a buzzbait early in the morning before the boat traffic and wind around the same structure is producing some keeper spots.

CRAPPIE - GOOD The crappie are anywhere from 15 to 25 feet suspended over the brush piles. The bigger crappie are coming out of 20 to 25 feet of water and the best bite is minnows. The crappie can be found in the creeks and in the deeper bluff pockets and bluff points.

CATFISH - GOOD The best method to catch the bigger cats is by jugs, trot lines and limb lines on the main lake and creek arm bluffs in the creeks. The jugs have been more consistent in the upper portion of the Osage River where there is less pleasure boaters. The best baits are cut shad, goldfish, perch and crawdads. Tightlining stink bait, nightcrawlers, shrimp and hot dog chunks are producing some nice channels and blues in 12 to 18 feet of water off the secondary points and steeper banks in the creeks.

WHITE BASS / HYBRIDS - FAIR The whites and hybrids have been busting shad on the main lake flats and points early in the morning and late in the evening. Several baits have been working like the Pop R, Devils Horse, Rattle Trap and Mepps Spinner when the whites and hybrids are chasing shad near the surface. During the afternoon, trolling Rattle Traps and deep diving crankbaits off the points and flats is producing also.

BLUEGILL - EXCELLENT The bluegill are around docks and seawalls early in the morning and late afternoon near the surface down to 5 or 6 feet. Nightcrawlers, red wigglers, wax worms (grubs) and crickets are the best bite.

Date: 7/09/04
Lake Level : 611.92
Last Weeks Lake Level: 611.89
Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Upper reaches are slightly dingy, while most of the lake is clear.
Surface Water Temp: 75 degrees

The weather in the past week has been unseasonably cool with a lot of patches of showers and thunderstorms.

Early in the week fishermen caught some very nice size crappie, with several in the 12 – 13 inch range. Since then it’s been mostly smaller ones on average, with the occasional keeper. Keep on the move and the keepers can add up pretty fast. Minnow tipped jigs have been the best bait and the bite has been very light. You pretty much need to keep your index finger on the line and watch your rod tip to detect the bites. If tightlining, another indicator is to watch your line on the surface as your bait sinks. If your line stops uncoiling while the bait sinks, it’s either on a branch or a crappie has intercepted it. Slip bobbers may be a good way to extend your reach to other trees, but it also is a lot more difficult to detect bites. The bite has been about 4 – 10 feet deep, with the better size fish being on the deeper end.

Bass fishing has been slow so far this week. You’ll probably have to go deep near main lake points to find them, anywhere from 6 – 15 feet deep, using deep diving crank baits or jigs.

Flathead slow

Largemouth Bass fair

Stripers slow

Crappie slow

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool:  Temperature:   

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 839.0 Temperature: 80 and Clear

Inflow: 60 cfs Outflow: 100 cfs Level: 0.85 feet high

Pomme Arm Good

White bass throw top water lures into schooling shad

Black bass Spinnerbaits and top-water early or late

Crappie fish minnows around trees deep 20-25 feet

Lindley Arm: Good

Crappie throw minnows 10-15 in standing timber

Black bass try spinning jigs 10 off main points

Bluegill fish are running shallow use worms or crickets.

Lower lake Good

Black bass use Shad Rap in about out 20 feet or dark plastic.

Crappie use minnow around docks or standing timber

White bass top water baits, or Road Runners in the flats

Walleye are being caught on minnows or nightcrawlers under the white bass on the flats just about dark.

Temperature: 73 Clarity:  Level: high and dingy

Largemouth Bass fair using spinner baits

Channel Cat  good in 10 feet of water using worms 

Blue cat No Report

Bluegill fair using worms

Crappie fair

Water Temp: 73

Crappie fair using jigs and minnows in the brush piles

Blue Catfish good using night crawlers

Channel Catfish  fair using night crawlers

Largemouth Bass  slow

Bluegill fair using night crawlers

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 864.2  Temperature: 72 to 74

Inflow: 20 cfs Outflow: 150 cfs Level: 0.48 feet high

CRAPPIE: Fair: The crappie are in most of the places you would expect during the summer. Brush piles on the main lake in about 14' to 16' of water are producing. You can also catch fish 6' to 12' deep in trees in 20' to 30' of water. Minnows are working best but a purple and chartreuse jig will also work.

BASS: Poor: Since the water has come up a few fish are being taken out of the grass. There seems to be a topwater bite if you are in the right place. A variety of baits are working depending on where you are fishing. Crankbaits, buzzbaits, or some sort of plastic will catch fish. Thursday evenings still are tough. Fishing in 8' to 10' of water is considered deep and is probably the max depth to try. (SEE TOURNAMENT RESULTS THURSDAY or WEEKENDS)

CATFISH: Good The rain has got the rivers moving and this has improved the fishing in the Platte and Little Platte Rivers. Most of the catfish have probably already spawned and are feeding up now. Some nice flatheads are starting to be caught on trotlines as well as channels and blues. A variety of baits will work depending on the way you like to fish.

White Bass: Fair: The whites are showing up on main lake points in the evenings and mornings. If you are in the right spot when the fish start busting shad you can have some fun. The fish are also on the old Trimble dam and some of the main lake humps. The face of the dam is also starting to produce some whites especially on windy days. Use pepper spoons and vertical jig for them. You can also troll small crank baits around the main lake points.

WALLEYE: Fair to Good: Some nice walleye are being taken on the main lake using crawlers and leeches on a jig head. You can also fish points in the Trimble area or up Camp branch and catch larger fish. You can also troll or cast a #5 shad rap around main lake points. Stay in 4' to 10' of water most of the time. This should be the pattern for the next month.

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 867.7 Temperature: 77

Inflow: 450 cfs Outflow: 1447 cfs Level: 2.32 feet high

Black Bass fair on plastic baits off points

White Bass fair early and late on Rooster Tails and minnows

Walleye fair trolling crankbaits over points

Crappie fair 10 - 18 feet deep around trees, good at night with light on minnows and shiners

Catfish fair trolling crankbaits over points.

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 915.0 Temperature: 79 - 83

Release Rate: 6629 cfs. Level: 1.83 feet high

James River, Kings & Long Creek No Report

Main Lake-Kimberling City, Baxter, Campbell Point and Dam Areas No Report

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Temperature:  Level:

Branson Trout Unlimited Meeting - July 27, 2004, 7:00 p.m. at the Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery.

GENERAL COMMENTS

Water Conditions: Nice holiday weekend. Water was off Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Had a little water Saturday afternoon (1 generator) and they turned on one late Sunday and Monday evenings for a couple hours. Running today. Two generators on at 8:00 a.m. and up to four by 9:00 a.m.

FLY FISHING TROPHY AREA (dam to Fall Creek)-SHALLOW WATER-WADING-
Family trips out for the holiday weekend. Two boats with a family of four, three generations out on Saturday. The grandsons and their father had their first experience at fly fishing compliments of grandmother who also fly fishes. It was an "awesome" day for all of them. One grandson caught a beautiful 17 inch Brown and they all caught lots of fish. According to a couple of our regular customers who came into the shop, Saturday was also a good day for the dark olive soft hackles. Started with the olive zebra in the morning and finished with the red midge in the afternoon. When the water was still, we did the chironmid wiggle to entice the fish. Another family of two sons and father Monday. Again, a good day with 40 fish to each boat. Lots of water today, but the fish were laying up in their normal high water places. Our one guest caught about 25 fish....all on the red midge.

STAN'S TIP: Seeing lots of nasty sunburns! Keep putting on that sun lotion while you are on the water. Also, don't forget to drinks lots of water. Standing in the cold water sometimes makes you misjudge how burnt or dehydrated you are getting.

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 722.00 Clarity:  Level:

Temperature: 78 and Dingy

Crappie slow

Bass slow

Channel cat good on setlines

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 706.0 Temperature:  

Inflow: 14000 cfs Outflow: 14529 cfs Level: 2.78 feet high

Mother nature took out her fury on us July 4th. We are open and operational. We had a couple of docks destroyed and lost a bunch of trees. We are working to get everything put back together witch is going to take some time. I won't be able to give you a fishing report this week due to lack of time. Best I can do is lake conditions, next week I'll get the report back up.

I do want to thank all the people for the kindness and help we have received through this mess. You really never know how many friends you have until something like this happens, though to many to name I will never forget any of you.

LAKE LEVEL: 708.93

WATER TEMP: 79 deg.

WATER CLARITY: Stained to clear. Tebo stained, Grand heavy stain, Little Tebo clear along with the Osage and both Pommies.

Until next week.

Lake temp: 

White Bass  No Report

Crappie good using minnows

Bluegill good using crickets

Catfish good using nightcrawlers