The lake level was 658.4 (660 is normal pool level); with heavy generation scheduled the lake should drop to 655.8 by the weekend. The annual winter drawdown is in progress. Surface temperature at the dam is 39 degrees with upstream temperatures of 30 to 34 degrees. Depending on air temperatures, ice forms and melts in the main channel and coves. Boaters should exercise extreme caution both at the ramp and on the water. Truman Lake is two feet over pool. Use the fishing report as a guideline only since there is very little input from the past week.
BLACK BASS – No major tournaments reported. Lower Osage: Try small Eakins’ jigs and jerkbaits like Smithwick’s Rogue or swimbaits like Sebile’s Sinking Magic Swimmer (fish it like a jerkbait). Glaize Arm: Try jerkbaits and jigs around main lake docks. Mid-Lake: Try jigs and jerkbaits shallow on sunny days. Niangua Arm: Try shaky heads, jigs and jerkbaits around main arm docks. Gravois Arm: Try small Brush Hogs on shaky head jigs. Upper Osage: Try Northland Slurpies rigged shaky head style. Osage 60 MM: Try small jigs or jerkbaits on sunny rock banks.
CRAPPIE – Crappie fishing can be good around private and commercial docks with open water. Fish jigs with chartreuse colors 20- to 25-feet deep. – Lower Osage: Try Garland’s Blue Ice jigs in and around main lake docks. Glaize Arm: Fair, try minnows or jigs 8 to 12-feet deep around docks. Mid-Lake: Try jigs 4- to 8-feet deep around main lake docks. Niangua Arm: Try small jigs, Blakemore Road Runners or minnows. Gravois Arm: Try minnows or small Road Runners 8 to 12-feet deep around docks. Upper Osage: Try small jigs; some fish are small. Osage 60 MM: Try 1/16-ounce pink or chartreuse jigs in dock wells on main lake points. Truman Tailwater: Try minnows, most fish are small.
WHITE AND HYBRID BASS – Try spring-fed areas of warmer water.
CATFISH – Lower Osage: Try nightcrawlers. Glaize Arm: Try nightcrawlers and chicken entrails. Mid-Lake: Try rod-and-reel using cut shad and nightcrawlers. Niangua Arm: Try cut shad and nightcrawlers. Gravois Arm: Try on cut shad. Upper Osage: Try cut shad or nightcrawlers. Osage 60 MM: Try traditional baits drift-fished on main lake flats. Truman Tailwater: Try ‘perch’.
BLUEGILL – Try 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, closed till 3/1/10 (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 – closed until 4/1/09, (573-363-5577); Osage 60 MM – Osage Tackle Co. (www.superslabseries.com), (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
26** 2:42 8:57 3:11 9:26
27** 3:35 9:48 4:02 10:16
28*** 4:27 10:40 4:53 11:06
1** 5:20 11:33 5:46 —
2* 6:15 12:02 6:41 12:28
3 7:13 12:59 7:39 1:26
4 8:11 1:58 8:38 2:25
5 9:10 2:57 9:37 3:24
6 10:08 3:54 10:35 4:21
7 11:03 4:50 11:29 5:16
8 11:54 5:41 — 6:07
9 12:17 6:29 12:42 6:54
10 1:02 7:14 1:26 7:38
11 1:44 7:55 2:07 8:18
Day ratings for fish activity
*Good, **Better, ***Best
— Compiled by Darrell Taylor
