Fishing report: Much is shut down, but most of region’s lakes remain open for angling
Here is the fishing report for lakes and reservoirs in the Kansas City area and regionally around Kansas and Missouri for April 8, 2020.
Missouri
ANNOUNCEMENT: The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Conservation Commission announced they are temporarily waiving permit requirements for sport fishing and daily trout tags for Missouri residents and nonresidents whose fishing privileges are not otherwise suspended. The waiver of needing a permit or trout tag to fish will run through April 15. MDC will reassess the situation at that point. All season dates, methods, and limits will continue to apply and be enforced.
BLUE SPRINGS: mid 50s, stained, high Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group reports: marina is closed until further notice due to COVID19 precautions. Look for wipers near the blowhole if water is coming in from Jacomo. Crappie around standing timber is your best bet. Folks are still getting into them using jigs or minnows. They will be moving up shallow in about 2 weeks. 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: 62 degrees, clear, 22 feet high and rising Outlook: Del Colvin Guide Service reports: limited access to ramps parking call first. Fish are in all phases of the spawn. Look for flat pockets in backs of coves. Swimbait or jerkbait is working on shad balls. Close to spawning areas the spinnerbait or chatterbait on windy banks with stain will work. Senko, jig, beaver, weightless worm, topwater frogs, spooks, and lots of other baits are working if you get around the fish. Beat the bank. High water is making great for the spawn. Little tougher for the fishermen. Gravel banks and boat ramp roads are good places to drag baits. Google earth maps or a good memory is important. Below the dam: John Berry of Berry Bros. Guide Service reports: The White has fished well. The hot spot has been Rim Shoals on lower flows. 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 (current favorite combination is pheasant tail nymph worm with a ruby midge suspended below it).
JACOMO: mid 50s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group reports: marina is closed until further notice due to COVID19 precautions. Things are still slow overall. Look for crappie near brush in 5-10 feet of water or along the public docks using jigs or minnows. Walleye are wrapping up the spawn but you still might find them at the dam or near the spillway. White bass will be moving up on the dam in big numbers very soon. Look for crappie to hit the banks in about 2 weeks.
JAMES A. REED: 56 degrees, stained, normal Outlook: Missouri Dept. of Conservation reports:56 crappie are fair using very small jigs or minnows near brush. Folks have been reporting using a 1/32nd or smaller jig fished starting shallow and moving deeper to find them. Largemouth bass have been hit or miss on a variety of baits, but seeing consistent reports. All other species slow. Due to public safety concerns from the coronavirus, MDC has suspended the channel catfish stockings for the Kansas City area park lakes until further notice. Also, the rental boats will not be available at the James A. Reed Area until further notice.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS: mid to upper 50s, stained, 5 feet low Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: fishing is still slow overall. Look for crappie 15 feet deep over brush. Some have been found on secondary points starting to move shallow. Jerkbaits, crankbaits, and tubes on rocky banks should produce some bass.
LONGVIEW: low to mid 50s, stained, normal Outlook: Longview Marina reports: Marina is closed until May 15th due to COVID19 precautions. No dock fishing is available. The gates are closed until further notice but the lake is open. Some reports of walleye at the dam but slowing down. Crappie are biting well on jigs in the coves and down in the trees on the Blue River side. White bass are beginning their runs up tributaries. Some largemouth were caught in the timber along rocky banks in the last week. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group for daily updates.
NORFORK: 63 degrees, muddy, 15 feet high and dropping Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: Four spillway gates are open now. Fishing the same. Stripers are biting stick baits after dark. Bass are trying to spawn. White bass are spawning back in the creeks as are walleye.
POMME DE TERRE: 60 degrees, stained, 3 feet high (2800 CFS) Outlook: Pomme Muskie Guide Service reports: Some crappie are being found shallow but fishing activity has been very slow recently. Bass are slow but hitting crankbaits. Walleye are about done on the spawn.
SMITHVILLE: 53 degrees, clear, 2 feet low (250 CFS) Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: The walleye spawn is about over with this being the last week. They are not feeding but will bite out of aggression. When fishing from the bank, a floating Rapala or Rogue fished slowly will work best an hour before dark till daylight. The crappie still think it’s winter so are fairly deep. Sailboat cove or brush piles could be areas to check. They will start moving toward spawning areas at the end of April. A few bass are being reported from rocky areas on suspending rogues. The cats are biting well in the upper parts of the lake on cut bait. The prepared baits are not as good in the cold water. Try 10 feet or less of water. White bass are picking up in the river areas near Plattsburg.
STOCKTON: 55 degrees, clear, 7 feet high (5820 CFS) Outlook: Tandem Fly Outfitters reports: Bass are hitting 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. Walleye jerkbait bite is wrapping up on main lake points, but are still catchable. They have also been biting on ¼ oz Bink’s spoon or Rapala Jig-N-Rap. Look for them to move to nearby flats in the next few weeks after the spawn completes.
TABLE ROCK: 58 degrees, clear main lake (stained to muddy in rivers), 5 feet high Outlook: Eric Prey of Focused Fishing Guide Service reports: For bass, concentrate on the old bank line (5’ deep) with crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs. Bass are moving into spawning pockets and can be caught on swimbaits and wacky rigged senkos. There are some on beds and can be caught on tubes and other sight fishing baits. Crappie are still relating to brush and moving up to spawn. Small tube jigs have been effective around brush in spawning pockets. White Bass are on flats in the river arms. Bright white or chartreuse baits with a lot of movement fished shallow will work.
TANEYCOMO: 47 degrees, clear, 15,000 CFS Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: there has been a huge lack of boat traffic in the last week. A ton of shad came through the gates of the dam last week and made their way down the lake. Guides and other anglers are drifting a variety of shad flies, jigs, and lures in areas that don’t get fished typically and the results are unreal. An outstanding amount of big browns and rainbows are being caught from Fall Creek down to the Lilley’s Landing dock. The fish that some guides are cleaning, coming from below Fall Creek, have been packed full of scuds as well. Drifting scuds and San Juan worms hasn’t been that productive but with the slower flow we might start having more success with them.
TRUMAN: mid 50s, stained, 8.5 feet high (30,835 CFS) Outlook: Richard Bowling Guide Service reports: Crappie bite is very good. 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 but has slowed down a bit overall.
Kansas
CLINTON: 55 degrees, dingy, 4.1 feet high (21 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Good reports of crappie in 10-20 feet over channel breaks and brush using chartreuse jigs. Minnows will work too. Channel cats are good near recent inflows on nightcrawlers. Walleye are fair at the dam targeted with jigs or suspending jerkbaits from dusk to dawn. The road over the dam has been closed until further notice by the Corps. and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office due to unsafe social distancing and parking conditions. The west ramps (#3) in the State Park are closed as is Campground 3 for repairs. Also, the Bloomington Ramps are open, but some of the docks may not be in. The dock is in at the north Bloomington Ramp.
COFFEY COUNTY: 57 degrees north end, hot water outlet 71, upper 40s everywhere else, clear, low Outlook: KDWPT reports: lake is closed until April 15th. Entrance gate phone number is 620-364-2475, call for lake conditions.
EL DORADO: upper 40s/low 50s, murky, 1.2 feet high (8 CFS) Outlook: KS Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism: Wipers/white bass are fair near breaks or humps early and moving towards shallow points and shorelines as the water warms up during the day. Jig and plastic or crankbaits work well. There are a lot of 4-inch shad in the lake that most game fish are feeding on so match the size of your baits to that. Crappie have scattered from winter time patterns and are spotty right now. Walleye spawn is still going on. Lots of males on the spawning grounds throughout the day. Females coming in after dark. Jerk baits are great choices this time of the year, but walleye can also be caught on jigs and live bait. Spawn will wrap up in the next week or so.
GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE): low to mid 50s, clear, 1 foot high (50 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: All outflows from Glen Elder have been shut down for several weeks for maintenance. The outlet has been pumped nearly dry and there will be no fishing opportunities below the dam until releases resume. Crappie being caught around the boat docks near the marina, on the Campground 3 brush pile, and on the swim beach brush pile. The fish will hang out in 10-20 feet of water over the next couple of weeks until they move in shallow to spawn. Anglers often have success using Beavertails, Panfish Assassins, and Slabbusters ranging from 1/8 to 1/2 ounce. Walleye are good and anglers have been having success along the dam while walk trolling at night using a variety of crankbaits, swim baits, and jigs. The spawn is beginning to wind down and some of the fish have moved toward the Cawker City causeway and off Gibbs Point. Smallmouth bass fishing should pick up now. They can be found along the dam, the south bluffs, and along the state park shoreline. Anglers typically catch them using a variety of crankbaits, soft plastics, and Ned Rigs. Largemouth bass can also be caught in most of the main lake coves as well as in the state park using spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and Senkos. Anglers have been catching fair to good numbers of channel catfish near the mouth of Oak Creek and Carr Creek, off the Cawker City dike and golf course, and in Mill Creek. The white bass spawn is just about to get started and anglers should start to find a few up the South Fork and North Fork rivers especially near the log jam on the North Fork River. These fish will also start to congregate along rocky banks such as the Cawker City causeway, Granite Creek, and the dam. Slab spoons, white and chartreuse twistertails, roadrunners, and Rattletraps are all good bets to catch some white bass now.
HILLSDALE: 50 degrees, stained, 1.7 feet high (25 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: The walleye spawn should have peaked the last week of March and first week of April and should be winding down soon. Some nice fish are still being caught shallow along the dam with crankbaits and larger plastic jigs. After the spawn, look for the walleye to disperse from the dam and begin feeding on adjacent shallow flats. Crappie fishing has been productive off the marina docks and as water temperatures warm the crappie should be moving shallow. Quality fish are being caught on jigs or minnows. White bass are fair on wind blown points. Jigs and shad imitation lures are the best baits right now. All other species slow.
LA CYGNE: upper 40s/low 50s, clear, about 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. Quality fish are being reported on jigs/minnows near structure. Largemouth are slow to fair fishing the deep side of the riprap areas and weed beds. Use cranks, jerkbaits, 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: 50 degrees, stained, 1.7 feet high (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. Channel catfish are fair with a few caught near cleaning stations and in the outlet area on nightcrawlers. Walleye are poor but a few have been reported caught along the dam face trolling with nightcrawlers. All other species slow or no reports.
MILFORD: 54 degrees, stained, 0.5 feet low (25 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Catfish are fair overall. Channel catfish are fair on cut bait, worms, and stink bait. Look for freshwater inflows. Blue catfish are typically caught on fresh cut bait. Target wind blown flats and river channel ledges for catfish. Crappie are fair 10-20 feet deep suspended near points, flooded brush, and ledges on jigs and minnows and starting to transition. Walleye are fair near rocky or wind-swept mud banks with jigs or jerkbaits as they move up to spawn. Use a slow retrieve with significant pauses while throwing a jerkbait. White bass/wipers are fair along windy banks and points using jigs on the reservoir and should start moving up the river on north end of the reservoir.
PERRY: 52 degrees, clear, 4 feet high (25 CFS) Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: Folks are catching their limits of crappie and finding lots of eggs. Spawn is nearing. 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 and are making their run up the Delaware. Some 3-pounders have been reported. Walleye and saugeye are slowing down.
POMONA: 54 degrees, stained, 3.5 feet high (500 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Walleye are still up on the dam in the evening hours but not as much and will be tapering off. Try jerkbaits, crank baits or jigs tipped with nightcrawlers. White bass/wipers are slow. Whites will start to make their run up tributaries soon. Good baits are minnows/live baits, cut bait, sometimes wipers hit liver and shad imitation lures. Crappie excellent with many over 10-inches being reported, especially around the rock quarry on dark jigs and minnows.
TUTTLE CREEK: 51 degrees, clear, 5.1 feet high (200 CFS) Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife reports: Crappie are excellent near brush piles with jigs and minnows 15-25 feet deep and moving shallower. Catfish are fair on fresh cut bait on flats and channel swings. Look for fresh inflows of water. Saugeye are best in the River Pond or at Rocky Ford. Trout have really slowed down.
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.