Fishing report for May 25

Missouri

BULL SHOALS: Low 70s, 4 to 5 feet of clarity, 38 feet high. Outlook: 125 Marina reports: Smallmouth bass fair on topwater baits along the treeline in 20 feet of water; walleyes spotty slow-trolling various baits; catfish excellent on jug lines and limb lines with cut bait. Below the dam: Berry Bros. Guide Service reports: Water below Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River has cleared some; trout spotty on woolly buggers, nymphs, midges, San Juan worms and sowbugs.

TANEYCOMO: 40s, murky, steady generation. Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: Trout excellent drifting white spoons, white jigs and shad flies on the bottom; below Fall Creek — from Monkey Island down through the Landing — drift minnows or nightcrawlers on the bottom.

NORFORK: 71 degrees, stained, 20 feet high. Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: Stripers good 30 feet down; walleyes good on the bottom in 27 feet of water; white bass good; black bass good in the brush (all species being caught on  1/2 -ounce white Bink’s spoons); hybrids very good early on topwater baits (Zara Spooks are best); catfish excellent using cut bait on limb lines.

LONGVIEW: 71 degrees, 35-inch clarity, 2 feet high. Outlook: Longview Marina reports: All species slow.

POMME DE TERRE: 70 degrees, dingy, 16 1/2 feet high. Outlook: Muskie Guide Service reports: All species slow.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS: 73 degrees, muddy, normal. Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: Crappies spotty on jigs and minnows in 25 feet of water over brush piles; black bass fair on lizards and topwater baits around docks; all other species slow.

REED AREA: 69 degrees, clear, normal. Outlook: Department of Conservation reports: Bluegills and redears good on worms under a bobber; black bass good on plastic worms and jig-and-pigs near brush; channel catfish fair on chicken livers; all other species slow.

STOCKTON: 64 degrees, clear, 9 feet high. Outlook: Department of Conservation reports: Catfish fair drifting nightcrawlers or minnows; black bass fair on flipping jigs in shallow water around brush or on Carolina rigged lizards and plastic worms along old shoreline; white bass fair deep trolling crankbaits; crappies fair on swimming jigs and trolling crankbaits in 12 to 15 feet of water.

JACOMO: High 60s, stained, slightly high. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: Largemouth bass fair on small plastic worms and finesse baits; white bass fair to good on shad-body crankbaits either trolling or casting off points and in coves; channel catfish fair to good late on cut bait and nightcrawlers in coves; crappies fair on minnows over main-lake brush; all other species slow.

BLUE SPRINGS: High 60s to low 70s, stained, slightly high. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: Largemouth bass poor to fair (fish are on beds) on finesse worms and small creature baits; white bass and hybrids good off points and windy banks using shad-body crankbaits; channel catfish fair to good late on cut shad and nightcrawlers over drop-offs and in coves; bluegills good on crickets, worms, wax worms, and scented Gulp baits in wooded areas; crappies fair early over brush piles using jigs, minnows or small crankbaits.

TABLE ROCK: 71 degrees, slightly stained, 11 feet high. Outlook: Guide Bill Babler reports: Lots of debris in river arms; largemouth bass good to excellent on brightly colored spinnerbaits in flooded vegetation; Kentucky and smallmouth bass good to excellent on  1/2 -ounce football jigs in 15 to 25 feet of water in front of bushes off gravel points; white bass good early and late on spoons in wind-blown pockets during surface-feeding activity.

TRUMAN: 68 degrees, varying clarity, 18 feet high. Outlook: Guide Bob Bates reports: White bass and hybrids excellent on jigs, spoons and Sassy Shads in 25 to 35 feet of water lakewide; walleyes fair on Sassy Shads and spoons; some ramps closed.

SMITHVILLE: 69 degrees, varying clarity, 1 foot high. Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: Crappies good on jigs and minnows under a bobber over brush piles and along creek channels; catfish excellent on cut bait and nightcrawlers in creeks and backs of coves; white bass good on pepper spoons, inline spinners, Road Runners and Rat-L-Traps on corners of main-lake bridges and jetties; black bass fair (fish are spawning); walleyes fair on jigs with leeches or nightcrawlers, Shad Raps, Flicker Shad and Rat-L-Traps off shallow points.

Kansas

SHAWNEE MISSION PARK: 70 degrees, murky. Outlook: Johnson County Park and Recreation District reports: Crappies and panfish fair to good early and late on live bait and soft plastics; catfish good on live bait; bass and wipers good on light-colored soft plastics.

KILL CREEK PARK: 71 degrees, murky. Outlook: Johnson County Park and Recreation District reports: Bass good on topwater baits and light-colored soft plastics; crappies and panfish good early and late; catfish good early and late on live bait.

COFFEY COUNTY: 86 degrees at hot-water outlet, clear, normal. Outlook: Coffey County reports: Smallmouth bass excellent; white bass and drum good; largemouth bass and channel catfish fair to good.

MELVERN: 66 degrees, slightly stained, 3 feet high. Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: Channel catfish good to very good on nightcrawlers and cut bait; blue catfish good on cut bait (particularly on northwest mud flats) and near docks; all other species slow.

CLINTON: 68 degrees, slightly stained, 2 feet high. Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: Walleyes fair to good on leeches and worm rigs over humps; crappies good (but small) on jigs and minnows; catfish fair to good on cut bait and goldfish on limb lines.

POMONA: 69 degrees, clear, normal. Outlook: Lighthouse Bay Marina reports: Crappies fair on jigs or minnows lakewide; catfish very good on glo worms and nightcrawlers; white bass very good on jigs or minnows; walleyes and wipers good lakewide.

WILSON: 62 degrees, stained, 4 feet high. Outlook: Guide Dale Hines reports: All species slow.

PERRY: 67 degrees, murky, 5 feet high. Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: Crappies good (but small) on jigs, minnows and jigs or minnows under bobbers off the shoreline lakewide; catfish very good to excellent on nightcrawlers and shrimp under a bobber in running water and in rocky areas. Below the dam: Blue catfish good.

MILFORD: 65 degrees, stained, 6 feet high. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: White bass fair to good in the backs of creeks; crappies fair to good (but small) in creek arms; smallmouth bass good off main-lake points and in flooded areas.

HILLSDALE: 70 degrees, stained, 2 1/2 feet high. Outlook: Jayhawk Marina reports: Crappies fair to good on minnows in 12 to 15 feet of water; catfish fair to good on goldfish and perch on limb lines; walleyes very good in 5 to 10 feet of water on nightcrawlers; all other species slow.

LA CYGNE: 60s, clear, normal. Outlook: Linn County Park reports: Catfish very good (a 55-pound flathead and a 50-pounder were caught this week) on perch on trotlines; largemouth bass fair; crappies fair on jigs or minnows.

GLEN ELDER: 60s, clear,  1/2 foot high. Outlook: Wayne’s Sporting Goods reports: Walleyes fair on nightcrawlers and jigs or minnows and jigs trolling or drifting over river channels; white bass good on slab spoons and minnows along and west of the causeway; crappies fair on jigs or minnows.

TUTTLE CREEK: 66 degrees, muddy, 16 feet high. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: White bass fair to good in the backs of creeks; all other species slow

WYANDOTTE: 70 degrees, clear, normal. Outlook: Wyandotte Boat Rental reports: Catfish fair on nightcrawlers, shad and liver; black bass good on a variety of baits; bluegills good on wax worms, meal worms and crickets; all other species slow.

EL DORADO: 60s, stained, 5 feet high. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks & Tourism reports: Crappies spotty on jigs and minnows in 6 to 7 feet of water over brush; blue catfish fair on cut shad and nightcrawlers off windy points and in creeks; channel catfish good on nightcrawlers and cut bait off windy points and in flowing water in creeks; white bass and wipers fair.

This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 4:18 PM.