Outdoors report: Spring fishing beginning to pick up across Missouri, Kansas lakes
Here is the fishing report for lakes and reservoirs in the Kansas City area and regionally around Kansas and Missouri for March 11, 2020.
Missouri
BLUE SPRINGS: low 40s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group reports: Crappie around the marina and standing timber is your best bet. Folks are still getting into them using jigs or minnows. No reports of wipers but should start moving in on the dam as the water warms. Wait until the wind is blowing in on the dam and you may have some luck.
BULL SHOALS: 49 degrees, dingy to clear, 0.5 feet high Outlook: Del Colvin Guide Service reports: Fishing is fair. Look for birds, loons and gulls actively feeding to find the shad at the surface. Little bit of a shad kill going on. They’ll be at the top down to 60 feet. Tops of trees are holding shad 40 to 60 feet down halfway back to the mouths of major creeks. The shad seem to be breaking up with water generation so use your graph to find the bigger pods. Jerkbaits, swimbaits, and A-rigs are producing. Cranking is good if there’s wind. Target channel swing transitions. A small group of fish are starting to move up. No wind or sun, go deep on points close to or on the bottom, use rapala ice jigs, spoons, or damiki rigs. Also try jigs on ledge transitions and points. You need to stay on steeper banks with big rock or ledge transition banks. Whites are moving up and walleyes getting caught towards dusk on jerkbaits. Del Colvin also does a video fishing report on YouTube: Bull Shoals Lake Fishing Report. Below the dam: John Berry of Berry Bros. Guide Service reports: The White has fished well. The hot has been Wildcat Shoals. The hot flies were olive woolly buggers (#8, #10), Y2Ks (#14, #12), prince nymphs (#14), zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead #16, #18), pheasant tails (#14), ruby midges (#18), root beer midges (#18), pink and cerise San Juan worms (#10), and sowbugs (#16). Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective (my current favorite combination is a cerise high water San Juan worm with an egg pattern suspended below it). Use long leaders and plenty of weight to get your flies down.
JACOMO: low 40s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group reports: Look for crappie around the marina and docks using jigs or minnows. Jacomo bass tourney produced slow results again. A-Rigs and jerk baits for bass should produce a few. Walleye will start to move in towards the end of March.
JAMES A. REED: 50 degrees, clear, high Outlook: Missouri Dept. of Conservation reports: trout have been good on a variety of baits. Crappie have been found on jigs fished slow near brush. Largemouth bass are beginning to pick up on jerk baits. All other species slow.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS: 45 degrees, slightly stained, 4 feet low Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: fish are still on the winter pattern mostly. Look for crappie 15 feet deep over brush. One good report near the dam said crappie were found on secondary points using a jig below a float in 2-6 feet of water. Quick limits that way in less than an hour. Jerkbait bite worked extremely slow for bass should produce a few.
LONGVIEW: 39 degrees, dingy, normal Outlook: Longview Marina reports: crappie fishing started to pick up recently near the marina. Jigs have been most productive 20 feet down. No word on crappie on the main lake recently. Walleye are expected to move up to the dam towards the end of March. Worms and minnows are now available at the marina. Fishing hours are 8am-12:30pm 7 days a week. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group for daily updates.
NORFORK: 53 degrees, stained, 2 feet high Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: no changes. Fish are beginning to move more shallow. Crappie still holding in brush piles. White bass starting to be on the move. As the water temp rises, the fishing will improve dramatically.
POMME DE TERRE: 45 degrees, clear, 0.5 feet high (1500 CFS) Outlook: Pomme Muskie Guide Service reports: Crappie can be found over brush piles on jigs and minnows on the lake, and some are beginning to be found shallow. Bass are hitting jerk baits and slow spinnerbaits along the shoreline. Walleye should start picking up soon.
SMITHVILLE: 44 degrees, clear, 0.8 feet low (8 CFS) Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: W and Camp Branch courtesy docks were underwater with recent rains. Crappie are fair lakewide on jigs and minnows and still in winter patterns near bridges and brush piles. Camp Branch area seems to have been one of the more productive areas Channel catfish are being caught on shad sides in the upper arms of the lake. Walleye are expected to move up to the dam the last week of March into April.
STOCKTON: 44 degrees, clear, 4 feet high (40 CFS) Outlook: Tandem Fly Outfitters reports: wind has been tough to deal with recently. Big shad kill off near the dam. Bass had been hitting well on a jerk bait, jig, and A-rig prior to that. Crappie are still suspended 15-35 feet down in water as deep as 65-70 feet and biting 1/8th oz jig head with a blue ice colored jig. Also, try white, silver, or clown colored ¼ oz Bink’s spoons. A few walleye are starting to hit a jerk bait on main lake points, but hasn’t quite taken off. Still having to really work for them. Jerk bait bite should take off any day. They have also been biting on ¼ oz Bink’s spoon or Rapala Jig-N-Rap.
TABLE ROCK: 49 degrees, clear main lake (clear to stained rivers), 0.5 feet high Outlook: Eric Prey of Focused Fishing Guide Service reports: no major changes. For bass, A- rigs have been very effective around standing timber and around larger boat docks suspended 10 feet down over 25-35 feet. Jerkbaits have turned on especially on windy, cloudy days. Most fish are on steep banks with isolated cover. Finesse jigs, ned rigs, and shaky heads have been effective working around boat docks on steeper banks 10-15 feet deep. Crappie have started to show up in standing timber 8-15 feet deep on bluffs and channel swings. Crappie jigs and tubes are your best bet.
TANEYCOMO: 47 degrees, clear, 10,000 CFS Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: trout are back to taking bigger scuds and fatter San Juan Worms as they did several weeks ago when generation was heavier. Rainbows are still in spawning mode and taking egg flies, too. Most guides are running two flies in tandem tied about 18 inches apart, usually with a scud/egg or a scud/San Juan worm. Four-pound line is fine. Use just enough weight to drop your fly to the lake bottom, probably a 3/16-ounce bell weight. Marabou jigs are working fairly well in the trophy area, working both banks, and the middle on the bottom. If you use four pound line, try a 3/32nd or a 1/8th-ounce jig. With two pound line, you could switch to a 1/16th-ounce jig if the wind isn’t too bad. Best colors are white (red or white thread), white/blue if you’re fishing up close to the dam, then sculpin/peach, black/yellow or brown/orange. Some reports of rainbows in the creeks down in the Branson area. The water temp in Turkey, Coon, and Roark Creeks is about six degrees warmer than the lake right now, and trout are seeking out that warmer water. Anglers are catching them on the Berkley Pink Powerworm under a float 5-6 feet deep.
TRUMAN: 46 degrees, stained, 2.5 feet high (20,000 CFS) Outlook: Richard Bowling Guide Service reports: Crappie bite is on. Fish the creeks in 10 feet of water and more. Spider rigging is working well with double minnow rigs. One pole jig fishing or minnow fishing is working as well. Quality and quantity are being caught. Catfish are being caught on main lake flats in the upper end in 6-10 feet of water using fresh cut bait 2 feet off the bottom.
Kansas
CLINTON: 47 degrees, dingy, 0.5 feet high (7 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Good reports of crappie in 10-30 feet over channel breaks and brush using chartreuse jigs. Minnows will work too. Fish are tightly bunched up on brush for the most part. All other species slow or no reports. Boat Ramp # 1 and 2 (Marina) are open in the State Park. The west ramps (#3) in the State Park are closed as is Campground 3 for repairs. Also, the Bloomington Ramps are open, but the docks may not be in.
COFFEY COUNTY: 57 degrees north end, hot water outlet 71, upper 40s everywhere else, clear, low Outlook: KDWPT reports: Fishing near the hot water outlet should be most productive until spring, especially for white bass and wipers. Use shad imitation lures and swimbaits. Whites have been the most productive in the last week. Both channel and blue catfish have been okay fishing along wind blown banks with cut bait. Look for creek channel swings and humps. Some largemouth have been caught near the hot water outlet on jerkbaits. Entrance gate phone number is 620-364-2475. Be sure to call ahead for lake conditions.
EL DORADO: low 40s, stained, 1.3 feet high (5 CFS) Outlook: KS Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism: Trout fishing has slowed due to water release which has dispersed the fish. You can find them on baits such as PowerBait, cheese, spinners, spoons, and small jigs and flies. Crappie are fair on brush piles using minnows and jigs, but far from great fishing right now. All other species slow or no reports.
GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE): low 40s, clear, 1 foot low Outlook: KDWPT reports: Anglers have been catching fair numbers of crappie on the main lake brush piles including Swim Beach, Campground 3, and Walnut Creek. There have also been some fish caught on the river channel drops in 30-35 feet of water. Walleye are fair around Walnut Creek, along the dam, and along the river channel in the middle portion of the reservoir. They can usually be found in 5-10 feet of water in the evening and early morning and head to deeper water throughout the day. Should be moving up for the spawn soon. White bass can be caught on the west end of the reservoir near the Cawker City causeway and up the river channels using slab spoons, crankbaits, and Kastmasters. There are also some fish to be caught along the dam and in the Walnut Creek area. Channel catfish are slow to fiar and anglers have had best success drifting cut shad, shad gizzards, shrimp, and stink bait. Best areas to try include south of the golf course, Takota Point, Swim Beach Point, Granite Creek, and the old hedgerow near Sandy Beach on the south side of the reservoir. Black bass have been slow.
HILLSDALE: 43 degrees, stained, 1.1 feet low (160 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Lake is in winter drawn down. Crappie are fair in brush piles or near the heated marina dock using minnows and jigs anywhere from 10-25 feet down. White bass are fair off wind blown points. Jigs and shad imitation lures are the best baits right now. Some walleye have been caught while crappie fishing. Look for them to move up to the dam soon. All other species slow.
LA CYGNE: low 40s, clear, normal Outlook: KDWPT reports: The crappie are moving into staging areas for spawning. Some have been caught off the wall gates where water is released at the dam. Some caught in marina coves and hot water outlet. There are good numbers of fish 10-12 inches long. Best lures to use are jigs/minnows near structure. Largemouth are slow to fair fishing the deep side of the riprap areas and weed beds. Use cranks, plastic worms, lizards or spinner baits like shad imitations. White bass are fair using shad imitations or silver spoons in the area of the hot water outlet. Most have been in the 1-2 pound range.
MELVERN: 40 degrees, stained, 1.5 feet low (20 CFS) Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: Crappie are fair over established brush piles and along the docks on minnows and small ice jigs. Smallmouth are fair lakewide on minnows and shallow crankbaits. White bass are fair on shallow crankbaits and minnows. All other species slow or no reports.
MILFORD: 40 degrees, stained, 2.8 feet low (900 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: 35% ice coverage. Channel catfish are fair on cut bait, worms, and stink bait. Blue catfish are fair on fresh cut bait. Target wind blown flats and river channel ledges. Crappie are fair 10-20 feet deep suspended near points, flooded brush, and ledges on jigs and minnows. Walleye are fair on rocky or wind-swept mud banks with jigs or crankbaits. Jerkbait bite should pick up for spawning walleye as water temp hits mid 40s. White bass/wipers are fair along windy banks and points using jigs on the reservoir, or target river on north end of the reservoir.
PERRY: 42 degrees, clear, 1.5 feet low Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: no changes. Folks caught their limits of crappie all around the lake this past week. Even bank fishermen fishing around Slough Creek Bridge with slip bobbers caught limits. Fishing around the docks continues to produce. White bass have been hitting around Rock Creek Bridge. Some 3-pounders have been reported. Walleye and saugeye are being caught up at the dam recently.
POMONA: 46 degrees, stained, 0.7 feet low (15 CFS Tues) Outlook: KDWPT reports: catfish are slow. Good baits are worms, dip baits, sunfish entrails, cutshad, stink/prepared baits. Fish feeders are off still. The outlet can be very good when releasing larger amounts of water. Walleye are slow but moving into staging areas for spawning. Try off the dam or along deeper steep banks on crank baits or jigs tipped with nightcrawlers. White bass/wipers are slow. Good baits are minnows/live baits, cut bait, sometimes wipers hit liver and shad imitation lures. Crappie are excellent with many over 10-inches being reported, especially around the rock quarry. Best baits are dark jigs and minnows. Recent sampling indicates that there are good numbers of larger crappie around the 11 inch or bigger range. It was reported last week that crappie fishing was good around the heated docks. This was a mistake by the KDWPT and was intended to be included in the Melvern report.
TUTTLE CREEK: 42 degrees, clear, 0.2 feet low (3000 CFS) Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife reports: Crappie are excellent over standing brush piles with jigs and minnows 15-25 feet deep. Catfish fair on fresh cut bait on flats and channel swings. Saugeye are best in the River Pond or at Rocky Ford. The sixth stocking of rainbow trout for Willow Lake was completed on March 3rd. So far this trout season, Willow Lake has been stocked with 7,730 trout. Anglers have been doing well with traditional trout baits or power baits.
Tyler Mahoney is a Rockhurst University-educated outdoors fanatic who works to support his hunting and fishing habits. Read more of his next-generation insight at mahoneyoutdoors.com.