Missouri Lakes Fishing Report by Steve Wilson

Lake - Lake of The Ozarks 04/24/08:

Record high rain totals. Record high gas prices. Lots of records seem to be falling lately. Maybe this is the year the state record largemouth gets caught out of Lake of the Ozarks. Lots of big fish have been caught here lately.

Lake level: 659.83 with heavy generation scheduled for the next few days. Truman lake level 718.5

Water temps: 56-mid 60's

Gravois and Dam area to the Toll Bridge. There is dirty water in the main channel of the Osage all the way to Bagnell Dam. The key is to look for the mixing conditions which change daily. The fish are staging on secondary points right in front of the spawning pockets. They can be caught on spinnerbaits, wiggle warts and carolina rigs. They are also a few fish on channel banks leading to spawning areas and the backs of docks. Those fish can be caught on spinnerbaits, wiggle warts and jigs. This area of the lake will have more pre spawn conditions than the rest of the lake since they spawn last on the lower end. This will give a angler a better chance of catching females. The full moon was last Sunday April 20th. And the first wave of spawners have started in the upper ends of the lake.

Glaize: It is still really muddy in this portion of the lake. But you can catch a few fish right now in the warming water conditions. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits that push a lot of water, and jigs fished a long channel banks in the creeks. Look for clearing conditions and shad activity. The rock transitions that turn from chunk rock to pea gravel have been holding fish. If there is logs or flooded bushes there even better.

Nianguas: The Niangaus are still muddy but there are small sections of clear water. Right now the best bite has been on spinnerbaits, wiggle warts and jigs on rock transitions. Chunk rock to pea gravel transitions with a little wood or brush pile usually holds a fish. The females are holding back on these transitions while the males set up shop in the pea gravel shallows. The males can be caught on carolina rigs and dead sticked plastics. Such as tubes, lizards and creature baits. Also don’t over look a bubble gum floating worm for those fish around the pea gravel.

Osage River: Very Muddy strong current in upper sections. More fishable stained to muddy conditions in the lower Osage near Hurricane Deck Bridge. There is some clearing conditions in the river right now. The main Osage has a lot of current passing through it since Truman is dumping water and Bagnell Dam is pulling it through the system. I had a trip in the upper Osage the other day. In the mourning the water temp was 51 degrees (that was the cold water from Truman Dam) By the afternoon the water was 62 degees. (They stopped running water through Truman and that water warmed up fast) We caught lots of fish but we had to change with them as they changed throughout the day. The fish are in spawning mode in the upper creeks and pre spawn in the lower creeks near Hurricane Deck Bridge. The pre spawners are easier to catch. They are on the creek channel banks and the secondary points. The can be caught on spinnerbaits, jigs, wiggle warts and carolina rigs. The spawners are in the pea gravel pockets and aren’t as easy to catch. Try dead sticking plastics such as lizards, tubes and creature baits. Fish slow because a spawning fish usually stares down a bait for a while before the attack.

Thanks and Good Luck!

Note: If you are a tournament angler and your not catching fish under these conditions you might want to think about investing in a Bassfactory trip. You will see how I hunt clearing conditions and catch fish in this high muddy water. This experience will go along way next time you are in a tournament situation like this. If you have any questions about fishing patterns/lures or would like to book a trip at Bassfactory Instructional Fishing Trips send me an email at Bassfactory@Charter.net

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