The lake level was 658.6 (660 is normal pool level). With light generation scheduled, the lake should hold at that level through the weekend. The surface temperature at Bagnell Dam is 75 degrees and 70 to 76-degrees upstream depending on the location, time of day and air temperature. Truman Lake is one-foot over pool level. Little has changed in the fishing report this week.
BLACK BASS – The Stren Series three-day tournament reported taking 47 pounds, 6 ounces to win and the Big Bass Bash’s big fish was 6.63 pounds. Lower Osage: Good, try topwater early, later try Texas-rigged 10-inch Berkley Power Worms or 1/2 ounce Eakins’ jig. Glaize Arm: Fair to good. Try 10-inch Berkley Power Worms or Eakins’ jigs on rocky points. Mid-Lake: Fair, try main and secondary points with weightless, Texas-rigged 7 or 10-inch Power Worms. Also try Norman Deep Little N’s or Rapala’s DT10. Niangua Arm: Fair, try topwaters like Berkley’s Frenzy Popper early. Later try Deep Little N’s or shaky heads tipped with watermelon-red Shaky Head Power Worms around brush. Little Niangua River: Fair, try around laydowns with spinnerbaits or soft plastics. Gravois Arm: Fair, try Eakins’ jigs or shaky heads with Berkley Shaky Worms or Northland’s Slurpies on points. Upper Osage: Fair on Slurpies rigged shaky head or wacky style. Osage 60 MM: Good on green pumpkin-colored jigs.
CRAPPIE – Bagnell Tailwater: No reported fish. Lower Osage: Fair on jigs around brush. Glaize Arm: Fair, try minnows 8 to 12-feet deep around brush. Mid-Lake: Fair, try minnows around deep brush. Niangua Arm: Fair, try minnows or Blakemore Road Runners around brush in 15 feet of water but fish are small. Gravois Arm: Fair, try minnows or Road Runners 8 to 12-feet deep around brush. Upper Osage: Fair, try Roadrunners over brush, some fish are small. Osage 60 MM: Good on chartreuse colored jigs. Truman Tailwater: Fair on minnows, most fish are small.
WHITE AND HYBRID BASS – Bagnell Tailwater: No reported fish. Lower Osage: No reported fish. Glaize Arm: No reported fish. Mid-Lake: Fair on points. Try trolling Norman’s Deep Baby N, Road Runners or Worden’s Rooster Tails on windy main lake points or humps. Niangua Arm: Good, cast or troll Norman’s chartreuse/purple Deep Baby N or Rebel’s silver/black Deep Wee R. Little Niangua River: Excellent for whites with some good hybrids while trolling with Rooster Tails. Water should be clear by the weekend. Gravois Arm: No reported fish. Upper Osage: No reported fish. Osage 60 MM: Good on windy main lake points; try lipless crankbaits or Rooster Tails. Truman Tailwater: Poor to fair early and late.
CATFISH – Bagnell Tailwater: Very poor. Lower Osage: Very good on nightcrawlers. Glaize Arm: Good on nightcrawlers and chicken entrails. Mid-Lake: Good, drift with rod-and-reel baited with live shad. Niangua Arm: Good drifting with cut shad and nightcrawlers. Little Niangua River: Good for ‘eaters’, try bank lines baited with chicken liver. Gravois Arm: Fair on cut shad. Upper Osage: Very good on rod-and-reel, trotline and jugline using cut shad and nightcrawlers. Osage 60 MM: Excellent on all methods with all traditional baits. Truman Tailwater: Fair on ‘perch’.
WALLEYE – Bagnell Tailwater: No reported fish. Little Niangua River: A few knowledgeable anglers are catching fish. Osage 60 MM: No reported fish.
BLUEGILL – Little Niangua River: Excellent for bluegill, redear and other sunfish. Elsewhere: Excellent around docks using nightcrawler pieces, Berkley’s Gulp Earthworm or pieces of Gulp! Alive! Minnows.
NOTE: The Lower Osage is from the dam to the 22-mile mark; Mid-Lake is between the 22 and 38-mile marks; the Upper Osage is between the 38 and 55-mile marks; the Osage 60 MM is between the 55-mile mark and the 89-mile mark; and the 89 MM is between the 89 MM and the Rt. 65 Bridge.
UPDATES – Bagnell Dam – Riverview (573-365-1122); Lower Osage – Mike Foree @ Osage Beach Bait & Tackle (573-348-9333); Glaize Arm – Mike Foree; Midlake – John Blankenbeker (573-280-1455); Niangua Arm – Darrell Taylor; Upper Osage – Guide Wayne Clemons (573-345-0123); Little Niangua River – Greenmill Campground (573-363-5577); Osage 60 MM – Osage Tackle Co. (573-374-2278); Truman Dam – The Station Bait & Tackle (660-438-7664); Tourney Results – www724outdoors.com; Lake Level (573-365-9205).
Fishing times
A. M. P. M.
Minor Major Minor Major
9 10:10 3:55 10:40 4:25
10 11:14 4:59 11:44 5:29
11 — 6:00 12:14 6:29
12 12:42 6:55 1:09 7:23
13 1:33 7:46 1:59 8:12
14 2:19 8:31 2:44 8:56
15 3:02 9:14 3:26 9:38
16* 3:45 9:57 4:09 10:21
17** 4:30 10:42 4:54 11:07
18*** 5:18 11:31 5:44 11:56
19** 6:11 12:00 6:37 12:24
20* 7:08 12:54 7:34 1:21
21 8:06 1:53 8:33 2:20
22 9:05 2:52 9:31 3:18
Day ratings for fish activity
*Good, **Better, ***Best
— Compiled by Darrell Taylor
Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. —
