Catfish fair using shad in Ligget Cove

Bluegill No Report

Crappie No Report

Bass No Report

Largemouth bass have not had warm enough water this week to move towards the back of the creeks or to the banks. There are a few largemouth that are roaming northern banks and points but they are staying close to deep water. Crankbaits and slow rolling spinnerbaits will trigger a few of the swimmers. Spider Jigs and Football jigs around transition banks and the ends of channel swings have worked well this week on the staging largemouth. 

Smallmouth bass are still holding in 30+ feet of water off points and large boulder rock banks. You can catch one or two up on the bank but it is not a pattern. Most of the smallies are suspended and the jig bite and tube bite is turned off. Throw Wiggle Warts (V37 and V38), Bandits, Lucky Craft Pointer 78DD and Bevy Shad or suspending rogues at this time for the some smallmouth action. 

Kentucky bass have pulled off the cliff walls and channel swings and moved with the shad into the pockets and coves off the main lake and cuts in the creek arms. They are still over deep water and spoons are still the #1 way to catch a few. Spend some time graphing and you will find them.

Lake Rating: Crappie are so-so, bass are so-so and walleye are so-so. Rating this week is "so-so" fair to good.

Just a handful of spots are available for the amateur/co-angler side of the PWT. It is recommended now if you want to fish this tournament to fax your entry form to PWT Headquarters. Entry blanks are available at Wilderness Trail and Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock. The PWT tournament will be May 11 through the 13th. The PWT will once again operate from Bull Shoals Boat Dock and the weigh ins will be held every day at the dock. The weigh ins are very exciting and should not be missed.

Walleye moved into 32 to 44 feet of water last week and they are still there holding off points and flats this week. Trolling is the key in triggering a few. Reef Runners and Glass shad are the best lures pulled on lead core line. The water temperature is holding the walleye outside their spawning areas, we will keep an eye on their movement this next week.

The FLW Outdoors Walleye Tour will be coming to Bull Shoals April 6th through the 9th. This will be their first walleye event on Bull Shoals and are expecting a full field of 150 boats. Co-anglers will be paired with the pros for this tournament. You can pick up more information and entry forms at R&H Marine in Bull Shoals and at Wilderness Trail.

Fishing for trout on the White River has been very good this past week. The shad coming through the dam had been spotty but when they do white "anything" will work, so you need to be prepared. When there is not much generation, Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and white have done well. With generation white chrome domes, the Buoyant spoon, Little Cleo’s, and Super Dupers are the bait of choice. The fly fisherman has done well on olive Woolly Bugger, white chrome domes, white minnow baits and San Juan worms. The Brown trout are being caught on suspending rogues, Shad Raps and Rogues.

Crappie- No Report

Catfish -No Report

Bass No Report

Catfish No Report

Bluegill No Report

Crappie fair around the marine

Bass No Report

AmerenUE reports the current lake level at 656.53 with heavy generation scheduled for the next three days, which according to AmerenUE should give the lake a level of 656.3 by Friday, March 4th. The water temperature taken at Bagnell Dam is 42 degrees. The main lake and some of the coves off the main lake are is still muddy, but the Big and Little Niangua and Gravois Rivers are clearing with visibility ranging from 2 to 4 feet. The Grand Glaize is muddy from the Osage River down to about the Ft. Leonard Wood recreation area where it is beginning to clear towards PB#1. The water temperature in the Osage River averages 38 to 42 degrees with the larger tributaries having surface temperatures ranging from 44 to 48 degrees. A cold front moved into the lake area today, which will probably drop the water temperature a few degrees, but the forecast for the rest of the week is a warm front moving in with temperatures in the mid 40's and 50's by this coming weekend.

LARGEMOUTH BASS - GOOD Since the warm weather moved in last week bass fishing has improved. The best bite has been the medium diving crankbait, Bandit, Wiggle Wart and DLN (crawdad and chartreuse colors) worked on channel banks with large chunk rock and on flats near the channels swings. The bass have been right on the bank out to about 8 or 10 feet. The best method has been paralleling the bank and working the crankbait with a slow retrieve. The jig, tube bait and twin tail Chomper (brown/black, brown/chartreuse, black/blue and green pumpkin) seem to be the better colors worked in 8 to 15 feet of water around docks and on the same type of structure where the crankbaits are producing. A few bass are being caught on the suspended jerk bait in the clearer water off secondary points and flats near the channel swings, but the crankbait and bottom baits are producing better. Lately the most productive area has been the Big and Little Niangua Rivers, but the Grand Glaize is beginning to turn on and producing some nice keepers.

CRAPPIE - SLOW The crappie being caught have been suspended over brush in 12 to 25 feet of water, but seem to be scattered or just stubborn. Two or three crappie caught out of one brush pile seems to be the limit then the bite stops. It's taking a lot of brush piles to get a mess. The best bite is the Road Runner and tubes (white, white/red head and chartreuse combinations) worked very slow and minnows. Tipping the baits with Crappie Nibbles seems to help.

03/03/05

Catfish Reports by: Anthony Ford: Catfish & Spoonbill Guide

CATFISH - fishing is poor 

Date: 3/6/05
Lake Level : 606.2
Last Weeks Lake Level: 608.2
Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Dingy to Muddy
Surface Water Temp: 43

The latest scuttlebutt on crappie fishing; it's slow for the most part, the lake still needs to warm up a little more to get the crappie more active. The fishermen that have caught some, found them on the north side of the lake in the flats, in shallow water anywhere from 2 to 5 feet deep. Minnows, or jigs tipped with crappie nibbles. One fisherman reportedly found some 50 degree water and today's 70 degree temperatures can only help. That is the usual pattern for this time of year, the northern banks warm up the fastest from the southern sun.

Article about Crappie Fishing on Mark Twain

Flathead No Report

Largemouth Bass No Report

Stripers No Report

Crappie No Report

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool:  Temperature:  

Check out river bottom lures we stock 8 colors in 4 and 6 inch
Check out the new lx bow by Matthew's

The boat pass price changed to $5.00 day pass and $35 for the year also 

Come in and see the new switchback bow from Mathews

You guys do a real good job on the web site

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 839.0 Temperature:

Inflow: 400 cfs Outflow: 802 cfs Level: 0.85 feet high

Black Bass No Report 

White Bass No Report 

Crappie No Report 

Catfish No Report 

Muskie No Report 

Walleye No Report 

Bluegill No Report 

Back to Top

Temperature: Clarity:  Level: high and dingy

Largemouth Bass No Report 

Channel Cat  No Report 

Blue cat No Report 

Bluegill No Report 

Crappie No Report 

Water Temp: 

Crappie No Report 

Blue Catfish No Report 

Channel Catfish  No Report 

Largemouth Bass  No Report 

Bluegill No Report 

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 864.2  Temperature: 40

Inflow: 30 cfs Outflow: 121 cfs Level: 1.95 feet low

Water Temp:40 degrees and the entire lake and all ramps are open.   

CRAPPIE: Good:   The fish have left the brush piles and are roaming following schools of shad.  The shad are from the mouths of the coves to 1/2 way back.   Most of the fish are being caught 15'deep + or - 3'. Jigs or minnows are catching fish.   Find large schools of shad and find crappie.

BASS: No Report:   Not many people are fishing for the bass right now.

CATFISH:  Since the water has been running so long below the dam the large cats have moved in.   A 32# flathead was caught 2-24.  A jig and 5" grub are your best bet.  The blues have started biting on the lake with shad sides or guts being the best bet.  

WHITE BASS: Fair:   Some are being caught around the docks by the crappie fisherman.      

WALLEYE:  No Report  YET! 

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 867.7 Temperature: 

Inflow: 1000 cfs Outflow: 5388 cfs Level: 3.61 feet high

Black Bass No Report

White Bass No Report

Walleye No Report

Crappie No Report

Catfish No Report

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 915.0 Temperature: 46 - 49

Release Rate: 7016 cfs. Level: 1.19 feet low

LAKE LEVEL 914.87 NORMAL 915
WATER TEMP 46-49

James River, King's River, & Long Creek
Water is starting to clear up, and fish are starting to bite Jerk baits, Luckycrafts, Rapalas, Rogues, & Shad Raps. Try clown colors in the stained water or gold/black & chrome/blue-chrome/black in clearer water. Clearest water will be found the further up river you go. Key in on transition banks and bluffs that turn into chunk rock & gravel banks, where the river channel swings away from the banks. Also try 5/16 or 7/16 brown and black Team Supreme jigs tipped with pork frogs, fishing the same areas in 8'-12' on the ledges. Getting some reports of several Walleye's being caught up Upper Kings River.

The Dam Area, Kimberling City, & Baxter Areas
The deep bite hasn't been very consistent because of water clarity & water levels changing. look for shad from the mouths of the major creeks to the secondary points, also look right down the middle of the creeks in the channels for shad. Use chrome or white 3/4 oz jigging spoons fished in 40'-55' over tree tops or around shad. Try 3"- 4" Team Supreme grubs and tubes will work in pearl, smoke, or salt & pepper colors. Try fishing around the big docks 12 stall or larger that drop off into 30'-50'. Fish small jigs or Texas rigged 4" French fries

Back to Top

Temperature:  Level:

Report by River Run Outfitters

GENERAL COMMENTS

Still running water...but, turning it off late at night for 5-6 hours.

Water Conditions: Four during the day, but it appears they are turning it off around 10:00 to ll:00 p.m. and leaving it off until 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. Beaver is now at 1120.3 and Table rock is 914.3. Beaver is still cutting back generation; running 1 or 2 generators for a while and off for periods of time. No rain forecast for a few days. Let's hope it stays dry so we can see a normal Taneycomo again ! !

FLY FISHING TROPHY AREA (dam to Fall Creek)-SHALLOW WATER-WADING-
Boats out Friday and Saturday and they had all pretty good day. Found fish up on the grassy area of the island across from KOA camp ground. Didn't find a thing in the channel behind the island. Still doing best below the Pointe Royale island on the main lake side. Caught most of our fish on the size 16 red tunghead midge but also caught some in all areas fished on the size 18 zebra midges in olive or rusty brown. The layup on the Pointe side downstream and about 1/2 mile up from the stairs going down to the water from Fall Creek seems like it is going to be a consistent spot, at least for a while. A nice cutback is created there when the water is high. Real calm water for the fish to lay in. Fisher are still catching nice fish early in the a.m. with the water off.

STAN'S TIP: For all of us boaters on the water while it is high, and even at normal levels...be considerate of other fishers on the water. The '"special management area" is not very wide. With some boats coming through wide open, a lot of wake is created from both the boat and the bounce off the banks. Also, we're seeing a lot of slot limit fish being kept as well as the use of illegal bait. This great fishery is a gift to all of us. Let's protect it. If you see someone in violation of the regulations, give the game wardens a call. Quinton - 417-294-5543 or Buck - 417-546-2990

Back to Top

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 722.00 Clarity:  Level:

Temperature:

  Lake Map

Crappie No Report

Bass No Report

Channel cat No Report

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 706.0 Temperature:  

Inflow: 11000 cfs Outflow: 20767 cfs Level: 0.90 feet high

Lake temp: 

Crappie No Report

Bass no report,

Crappie No Report

Bluegill No Report

Catfish No Report