Fishing report for Aug. 31

BULL SHOALS: Mid- to high 80s, 8 feet of clarity, 15 feet high. Outlook: 125 Marina reports: Walleyes good on jigs 24 feet down and trolling worm harnesses; black bass fair at night on topwater baits and dark-colored spinnerbaits; catfish good on cut bait using jug lines. Below the dam: Cotter Trout Dock reports: five to 10 generators in use; trout good (particularly browns) on  1/8 -ounce white or white/gray jigs, sculpins and crawfish. Berry Bros. Guide Service reports: No wadable water; Rim Shoals has been the hot spot; grasshopper season is here; add a nymph dropper (ruby midge) to increase takes.

TANEYCOMO: 50s, clear, varying generation. Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: Trout good on pink Power Worms at Branson Landing; on pink Power Worms, jigs, PowerBait, pink Gulp Eggs (with enough flow) and worms at Monkey Island; on pink Power Worms and (with enough flow) on  1/8- to  3/32 -ounce sculpin or white jigs or No. 5 or No. 7 Rapalas (silver/black or rainbow is best) from Lilleys’ to Cooper Creek; on pink Power Worms under a bobber or  1/80 -ounce white, brown, black/olive or pink jigs under a float 4 to 6 feet down from Trout Hollow to Lilleys’ — later try  1/16 -ounce jigs (black or black/olive); on air-injected nightcrawlers or (when water is running) on megaworms or No. 12 gray scuds on the bottom from Fall Creek to Trout Hollow; on microjigs under a bobber from the Narrows to Fall Creek; for fly fishermen, No. 12 to No. 16 gray or brown scuds fished on bottom under an indicator.

NORFORK: 84 degrees, clearing, 14 feet high. Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: Stripers poor due to low oxygen levels; bass, walleyes, hybrids and catfish good above 20-foot level on spinnerbaits or  1/2 -ounce Bink’s spoons in brush.

LONGVIEW: 75 degrees, 32-inch clarity, normal. Outlook: Longview Marina reports: Black bass fair to good on crankbaits, Senkos and spinnerbaits around the weed lines; catfish good on cut bait fished on the bottom; crappies fair to good (but small) 10 to 15 feet down on jigs or minnows lakewide; white bass spotty on spinnerbaits.

POMME DE TERRE: 78 degrees, 4 to 5 feet of clarity, normal. Outlook: Muskie Guide Service reports: Muskies fair to good on bucktails and jerk baits; all other species slow.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS: 79 degrees, stained, normal. Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: Bass fair on soft plastics and jigs 15 to 20 feet down over main-lake brush piles; crappies good (but small) on minnows or jigs 10 to 15 feet down over brush piles and off condo docks; all other species slow.

REED AREA: 81 degrees, muddy, 1 foot high. Outlook: Department of Conservation reports: Bluegills and redears fair on worms under a bobber; channel catfish good on nightcrawlers and cut bait. All other species slow.

STOCKTON: 76 degrees, clear, 2 feet high. Outlook: Stockton Lake Guide Service reports: White bass good late on Rooster Tails and spoons where fish are surfacing, also trolling in 15 feet of water; crappies good on minnows or jigs over brush piles in 18 feet of water; black bass fair on jigs off main-lake points; catfish good on nightcrawlers and cut shad in flowing water in creeks, also drifting with fresh shad.

JACOMO: High 70s to mid-80s, stained, high. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: Largemouth bass fair to good early on soft plastics and late on spinnerbaits; white bass fair to good early trolling crankbaits in the coves or casting to surfacing fish; channel catfish good on cut bait, liver and nightcrawlers lakewide; bluegills good to very good on wax worms, crickets and red worms lakewide; flatheads good early and late on live bait in the coves and on the flats.

BLUE SPRINGS: High 70s to mid-80s, very stained, high. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: Largemouth bass fair early on soft plastics and late on spinnerbaits, buzz baits and topwater baits; hybrids fair on liver in the Woods Chapel bridge area and on spoons around the blowhole; channel catfish good on cut bait and nightcrawlers off points and in the coves; bluegills very good on red worms, wax worms and crickets lakewide; crappies fair on minnows and jigs over main-lake brush; flatheads fair at night on goldfish and extra-large minnows off points and on the flats.

TABLE ROCK: 81 degrees, clear, normal. Outlook: Guide Bill Babler reports: Black bass good early on topwater baits in the river arms in shallow water off rocky banks and later on drop-shot rigs in 27 feet of water off the same rocky banks; white bass fair on  1/2 -ounce spoons in river arms where fish are schooling; walleyes spotty on nightcrawlers.

TRUMAN: 78 degrees, varying clarity, 6 1/2 feet high. Outlook: Guide Bob Bates reports: Crappies good (but often small) on minnows 6 to 15 feet down in the hedges and cedars, over brush piles in 15 to 18 feet of water, in 14 to 18 feet of water off main-lake bluffs or on flats; white bass and hybrids good late on large spoons or minnows over deep humps (best when water is being released). Cody’s Guide Service reports: Catfish fair to good drifting with cut shad or using jug lines in 20 to 25 feet of water. Below the dam: Catfish fair; white bass good.

SMITHVILLE: 76 degrees, clear, normal. Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: Channel catfish excellent on dip baits, liver and shad using rod and reel, also on goldfish, bluegills and cut bait using trotlines and limb lines; white bass fair on pepper spoons, inline spinners, Road Runners and Rat-L-Traps where fish are chasing shad, also 16 feet down off points; crappies good on minnows or jigs 10 to 15 feet down over brush piles; black bass poor to fair early on topwater baits and later on creature baits and nightcrawlers.

SHAWNEE MISSION PARK: 93 degrees, murky. Outlook: Johnson County Park and Recreation District reports: Catfish fair on cut bait or live bait from shoreline; black bass and wipers fair on jigs or live bait; crappies and panfish fair early and late on live bait.

KILL CREEK PARK: 92 degrees, murky. Outlook: Johnson County Park and Recreation District reports: Bass fair on live bait or jigs; crappies and panfish fair late on worms or corn; catfish fair late on cut bait or live bait from shore.

COFFEY COUNTY: 95 degrees at hot-water outlet, clear, normal. Outlook: Coffey County reports: Smallmouth bass good; largemouth bass, crappies and channel catfish fair.

MELVERN: 77 degrees, fairly clear,  1/2 foot high. Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: Crappies good (but small) on minnows or dark jigs off the docks and on minnows 8 to 10 feet down over brush piles west of Turkey Point Park; smallmouth bass and white bass good on spoons and shallow-running crankbaits along shorelines and riprap, also in flooded timber near west end; largemouth bass fair on shallow-running crankbaits off rocky shorelines; channel catfish good on cut bait or minnows around the docks and in deeper water on liver, shrimp or cut shad; blue catfish fair on cut bait near the docks and on mud flats at northwest end of lake; walleyes good on bottom bouncers or trolling in 4 to 5 feet of water near the Lebo bridge. Below the dam: Channel catfish good on cut bait, liver and shrimp.

CLINTON: 74 degrees, stained, 4 feet high. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks and Tourism reports: Catfish very good drifting shad, also on dip baits, liver and nightcrawlers over bean holes; crappies good on jigs (chartreuse and black are best) in timber; wipers good late on crankbaits, jigs or spinnerbaits where fish are surfacing; white bass good early trolling crankbaits and jigging spoons.

POMONA: 72 degrees, fairly clear, 2 1/2 feet high. Outlook: Lighthouse Bay Marina reports: Catfish excellent on various baits on rod and reel and limb lines; wipers good early and late on crankbaits and spoons 10 to 15 feet down; largemouth bass and white bass fair; crappies fair on jigs and minnows off the docks, also 12 to 15 feet down over brush piles.

WILSON: High 70s, clear, 1 foot high. Outlook: Knotheads Baitshop reports: Stripers spotty trolling crankbaits and live bait; channel catfish good on minnows, dip baits, cut bait or nightcrawlers lakewide; blue catfish good on rod and reel or juglines with cut bait, live bait or minnows on west end and in Hell Creek; largemouth bass good early and late on Zoom Horny Toads; walleyes fair on jigs and worms, swim baits and rattle baits in 6 to 12 feet of water off rocky points; white perch and white bass excellent.

PERRY: 78 degrees, stained, 2 1/2 feet high. Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: Channel catfish excellent (along with some small blues) in 12 to 24 feet of water over bean holes on Sonny’s dip bait in Devil’s Gap area; white bass good on Bubbas (chartreuse is best) in Rock Creek.

MILFORD: 77 degrees, clear,  1/2 foot high. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: Wipers spotty on Double-W Shad Flutter spoons from north and south island; channel catfish good over bean holes on dip baits; white bass spotty on Bubbas in back of coves where fish are chasing shad.

HILLSDALE: 75 degrees, stained, 6 1/2 feet high. Outlook: Jayhawk Marina reports: Crappies fair (but small) on jigs or minnows off the docks. All other species slow.

LA CYGNE: 80s, clear, normal. Outlook: Linn County Park reports: White bass good; crappies fair (but small); flatheads good.

GLEN ELDER: 76 degrees, clear, normal. Outlook: Wayne’s Sporting Goods reports: Walleyes good trolling crankbaits in 4 to 8 feet of water and drifting on shallow flats with jigs and nightcrawlers (wipers can be found mixed in with walleyes); catfish good over bean holes and on shad using bank lines; white bass very good on slab spoons or jigs where fish are surfacing.

TUTTLE CREEK: 84 degrees, stained, 3 1/2 feet high. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: White bass very good on Bubbas (a few catfish are mixed in); channel catfish good over bean holes on dip baits.

WYANDOTTE: 80 degrees, clear, normal. Outlook: Wyandotte Boat Rental reports: Catfish fair to good in evening off docks on minnows and lakewide on nightcrawlers, shad or liver; black bass good (but small) on a variety of baits; bluegills good on wax worms, meal worms and crickets.

EL DORADO: 80s, fairly clear, normal. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks & Tourism reports: Crappies good on jigs in 8 to 11 feet of water in timbered creek channels; blue catfish fair to good on cut bait near flooded creek channels; channel catfish good 8 to 14 feet down over bean holes; wipers good trolling crankbaits along ledges or old roads or casting soft plastics off windy points; white bass fair casting or trolling Twister Tails, small crankbaits or spinners off windy points; walleyes good on jigs and nightcrawlers or trolling crankbaits off points.

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Fishing report for Aug. 31."