Fishing report: Angling patterns remain consistent in steamy summer heat
Here is the fishing report for lakes and reservoirs in the Kansas City area and regionally around Kansas and Missouri for July 29, 2020.
Missouri
BLUE SPRINGS: mid to upper 80s, stained, low Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group reports: water level is getting back to normal. White bass can be found lakewide. Trolling crankbaits for crappie should be a good way to find them on the main lake along channel cuts and drop offs. Keep an eye out for schooling activity early and late. Bandit 200s and 300s are a good trolling option. Largemouth have been fair in the last week on jigs or 10-inch worms on rocky banks.
BULL SHOALS: 89 degrees, dingy to clear, 29 feet and falling Outlook: Del Colvin Guide Service reports: Corp. limited access to ramps and parking, call first especially on weekends. Summer patterns are in effect. You’re going to work for them! Fish the conditions. If it’s hot, go deep. If it’s cloudy and windy, go shallow! Getting up early for topwater can make or break your day. Poppers and Berkley wake bait have been a staple. Try whopper plopper, buzz bait, or chatterbait for powerfishing “shallow” if it’s cloudy or stormy. As sun comes up, change tactics. Smallies/Kentuckies are stacked out on main and secondary points, sunken islands, humps, channel swings, bluffs, and bluff ends. With shad present, fish position will change depending on sun, wind, current, clouds, etc. Still a lot of places for them to hide with high water so keep it moving. The big worm in sunken trees, near ledges or 1/2 oz Jig in green pumpkin orange or GP blue in 18-28 feet is good. Smallmouth are on gravel banks, boat ramps, and old roads. All good places to drag baits like the ned rig, hula grubs, tubes, in puke lil MCMinnow. Drop shot the suspenders off bluff points, main lake points, and hump islands 24-34 feet deep. Check saddles with current Check out Del Colvin’s online fishing report on YouTube. Below the dam: John Berry of Berry Bros. Guide Service reports: The White has fished well. The lower flows we have had in the morning have been extremely productive. 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 San Juan worm with a peach egg) suspended below it).
JACOMO: mid to upper 80s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group reports: Look for crappie near brush in 10-15 feet of water or along the public docks using jigs or minnows. Trolling crankbaits should be a good way to find all species of fish. Look for the whites schooling in the evenings now. Walleye have been caught while trolling flicker shad in the last week. Look for bass along the weedlines in the coves and on points. Topwater early and late should produce but has been tougher recently. Cloudy mornings have offered better topwater bites for anglers. Later in the day look to go deeper with jigs off points. Bluegills are very good on small jigs tipped with pieces of nightcrawlers or crickets.
JAMES A. REED: 86 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Missouri Dept. of Conservation reports: largemouth bass fair on top water early and late in the day. Several anglers having good success walking a frog in and around weedlines. Once the sun is up, topwater bite will die down quickly. Lots of bass being caught every week. Channel catfish are fair on worms or prepared baits. All other species slow.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS: upper 80s, clear, 0.5 feet low Outlook: bassingbob.com reports: hot water temps have the fish buried in the brush piles. Look for brush on points in 15-25 feet of water and target those with jigs or shaky heads worked through them slowly. The Glaize arm has been producing well in the last week but have to work for them. Crappie have been very good trolling Bandit crankbaits in 15-20 feet of water on main lake bluff ends to secondary points. You can find them in brush piles jigging minnows vertically as well. Blue and channel cats are fair to good on main lake ledge points and deeper secondaries.
LONGVIEW: low to mid 80s, clear, over 1 foot low Outlook: Longview Marina reports: be careful getting your boat up shallow because lake is still low. Crappie are fair to good around the marina docks and in the timber in Mouse Creek in 8-15 feet of water and deeper. Jigs have produced. Catfish are biting well from shore all over the lake on stink bait. Walleye haven’t been reported much in the last week. White bass have been good 10-15 feet down in 30 feet of water near the dam and rocky areas. Marina open 8am-8pm and is stocked with minnows, worms, and chicken liver in stock but need a mask to enter. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group for daily updates.
NORFORK: 88 degrees, clear, 16 feet high Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: Stripers are 85-100 feet down and hitting Bink’s Spoons. Bass are biting really well on topwater baits like spooks and poppers. Walleye have been fair to good hitting ¼ oz Bink’s Spoons.
POMME DE TERRE: 89 degrees, clear, 1 foot high (50 CFS) Outlook: Pomme Muskie Guide Service reports: Catfish are hitting trolled crankbaits. White bass schooling activity has been intermittent, look for it in the late afternoon/evening. Crappie are biting well over brush piles but you have to hunt for them. Minnows and jigs are the ticket. Bass are hitting but it’s been a tough bite. In the most recent tournament, 44 boats competed and winning back was about 16 pounds. All other species slow or no reports.
SMITHVILLE: 86 degrees, clear, 0.5 feet low (1500 CFS) Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: crappie are good in brush piles on the main lake. The fish are 7-10 feet deep in the 15-20 foot piles. Minnows are best for the larger fish but a blue and chartreuse jig with crappie nibblers or smelly jelly will work. Bass are fair on top water in the morning and evening on buzz baits or whopper ploppers. Also try jigs, 10” worms on brush, logs and around brush piles in 10-12 feet of water. There are some fish in the shallower grass that you can catch on senko’s or small creature baits. Flatheads are good on goldfish or bluegill on trot or limb lines. Channels and blues are good on cut bait (shad) or shrimp. The stink baits are working really well on the channels. Watch for the whites surfacing and chasing shad. Rooster tails, road runners with a white twister tail or small spoons are deadly. Walleye are slow with only a few small ones being caught. Most are coming from 12’ or less of water.
STOCKTON: 84 degrees, clear, 0.2 feet low (1973 CFS) Outlook: Tandem Fly Outfitters reports: Walleye have been a rollercoaster. Look for them on main lake points using a 1/8th- 1/4oz jig tipped with a night crawler. Also can catch them with a bottom bouncer and a worm harness on main lake points and main lake flats. The whites are starting to school throughout the lake around points surrounded by flats in the evenings. Throw a 1/4oz silver spoon or a 1/4 white road runner. Crappie are still suspended in 12-25ft and can be caught trolling with flicker shad or near brush or standing timber with a jig or minnow. The bass are on main lake points eating a 10in worm or a jig. Also have a good top water bite on poppers, spooks, or ploppers.
TABLE ROCK: 88 degrees, clear main lake (clear to stained in rivers), 3.5 feet high and falling Outlook: Eric Prey of Focused Fishing Guide Service reports: For bass, the top water bite has slowed but a few fish can still be caught early and late. Look for fish to be on main lake and secondary points. Swimbaits have been effective on gravel points close to deep water. Deep fish are starting to show up in treetops; a drop shot rig 25’-45’ deep in trees anywhere from 40’-90’ has been effective this past week. Crappie are getting harder to find, trees topping out around 20’ are holding a few. White jigs, small tubes and live minnows are the best bet. The white bass are getting harder to find, gravel points and in main lake pockets, they can be caught on top water early and on spoons around 35’ deep later in the day.
TANEYCOMO: 52 degrees, clear, 2-4 units of water daily Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: Early in the day by 6 AM is best time to fish. A white jig from the Trophy Area down to Short Creek has been good in the last week fished along the bottom. Because there’s a midge hate, you can also throw a small 1/32nd-ounce jig using 2-pound line and work it fast, close to the surface. See if these feeding rainbows will chase and take the jig. Good colors are black, olive, sculpin, black/yellow and brown. Or, you can try a midge under an indicator, either spin or fly rod. Red has been the best color but you can also try a black or brown. Best size is from a #14 down to a #18, and use 2-pound line or 6x tippet. Fish it shallow if they’re midging (12-18 inches) and deeper if they’re not (24-60 inches). Drifting night crawlers from Fall Creek down has been producing very nice rainbows. Gulp PowerEggs in orange or white have been catching mainly rainbows, drifted from Short Creek down past the Branson Landing. Back to throwing the marabou jig... sculpin/peach has been hot, fishing it from Trout Hollow Resort down through our place, working it mid lake and close to the bottom. If they’re running only 2 units, use a 1/16th or a 3/32nd-ounce jig and 4-pound line.
TRUMAN: 85 degrees, clear, 0.5 feet low Outlook: Richard Bowling Guide Service reports: crappie are being caught in 10 feet of water in the morning fishing 8 feet down. As the sun comes up, move out to 14 feet and more fishing 12 feet down. Minnows are your best bet. Fish the flats, road beds, and isolated trees for the best bite. Cats are being caught on the flats in 8 feet of water out to 14 feet drift fishing and using fresh cut bait. Blues are moving to the flats and bite is getting real good.
Kansas
CLINTON: 84 degrees, stained, 0.4 feet high (21 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Boat Ramp #4 in the Bloomington West Park is closed. Crappie are hitting over brush piles and standing timber 15-20 feet deep mostly on jigs. Channel cats fair on shad, cut bait, or minnows. Walleye are on the flats now and can be targeted with jig and a nightcrawler or trolling with crankbaits. White bass fair casting crankbaits on the dam or windy points. Wipers have been mixed in. Look for humps in deep water along channels to find wipers as well.
COFFEY COUNTY: upper 80s/low 90s, clear, normal Outlook: KDWPT reports: Restricted lake hours are from 7am-4pm. All boats are to be off the water by 4pm. All people and boats are to be off of lake property by 5pm. Fishermen should remain in vehicles at the gate during registration. Largemouth are fair on topwater near grassy and woody structure. Fishing deep points or ledges with shaky heads, jigging spoons, or hair jigs might also work. Walleye are fair trolling crankbaits or spinner rigs with live nightcrawlers or minnows over points and humps. Catfish are biting very well on wind blown banks or creek channel swings and humps and should be up shallow right now as well. Crappie are moving around deep standing timber and brush piles or near the channel breaks. Using various colored jigs or minnows should produce some fish. Smallmouth are fair on crankbaits, swimbaits, and finesse plastics around rocky habitat. Fish should be up shallow, but don’t be afraid to go offshore and fish deeper around humps and dropoffs, using drop shot rigs. Topwater bite has been good lately. Whites/wipers are fair to good on shad imitation lures like small spinners, crankbaits or bucktail jigs. Look for schools of shad or focus on wind blown flats or rocky points. Vertical jigging slab spoons is also a good technique. Entrance gate phone number is 620-364-2475, call for lake conditions.
EL DORADO: upper 70s/low 80s, stained, 0.1 feet low (14 CFS) Outlook: KS Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism: Wipers are hitting off the main lake points and deep water areas during mid-day hours. Trolling cranks in areas where the wind is blowing into or across is a great way to locate active fish. Whites are mixed in. Crappie are on standing timber and brush piles in water 12-15 feet deep. Jigs or minnows working well, along with trolled crankbaits. Blue cats are fair near river channels in the upper half of the lake on fresh cut bait. Walleye have been caught on the flats on jig and crawler combos in water 9-12 feet deep. Trolling crankbaits is also producing fish along wind blown shorelines, points, and old roads.
GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE): 82 degrees, clear, 2 feet high (400 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: crappie are deep in timber and other structure like the Georgia Cubes. You may find some in the river channel 20-25 feet down. Walleye anglers have been catching good numbers of crappie on the west end in 16-20 feet of water using Thin Fins, Shad Raps, and Flicker Shads. Look for walleye in 8-16 feet of water using crankbaits and jig/crawler combos. Best areas to try now include Walnut Creek, the flats south of the Cawker City golf course and the south shore between Gibbs Point and Mill Creek. Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good recently with anglers catching high numbers of shallow fish. They can be found along the dam, Granite Creek, the south bluffs, and along the state park shoreline. Largemouth are in most of the main lake coves as well as in the state park using spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and Senkos. Catfish are good and anglers have turned to chumming for channel and blue catfish. Fermented soybeans, wheat, and milo all work well. Large white bass are hitting across the reservoir on slab spoons, white and chartreuse twistertails, roadrunners, and Rattletraps.
HILLSDALE: upper 70s/low 80s, stained, 0.4 feet high (135 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: some walleye are being caught on shallow flats and mud banks. Drifting live bait, jigging, trolling crankbaits, or casting baits while targeting structure can all be effective methods right now. Most crappie are on brush or isolated structure using jigs or minnows. White bass fair on wind blown points. Largemouth have slowed down. Topwater early should produce around laydowns then move deeper. Channel cats being caught lakewide. Best bite at dusk in the upper ends of the lake.
KILL CREEK PARK: 86 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Johnson County Parks and Rec reports: trout are fair on powerbait. Crappie and bluegill have been hitting very well on nightcrawlers and minnows. Bass have been fair on topwater and plastics. Catfish are fair on dough bait and nightcrawlers.
LA CYGNE: upper 80s/low 90s, clear, low Outlook: KDWPT reports: catfishing is good from shore using sunfish or cutshad, worms, prepared baits, or liver. Start at the creek mouth. Set lines have also been productive. Crappie are on structure now. Some caught off the wall gates where water is released at the dam. Some caught from marina coves and it’s usually good at the hot water outlet area. Try the Georgia Cubes as well. White bass are fair to good using shad imitations or silver spoons in the creek mouth area. Most have been in the 1-2 pound range. Some wipers have been found surfacing recently near the bridge, most are 4-6 pounds. Notes from area local: Bass fishing is slow this time of year due to water temps. They are up shallow in the mornings but quickly move deep and offshore with heat of the day. Flipping or pitching in the morning is your best bet and then deep cranks, jigs, or worms off shore later is the way to go.
MELVERN: 84 degrees, clear, 2.1 feet high (1000 CFS) Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: Crappie are fair to good lakewide in deeper water over established brush piles and along the docks on minnows and jigs. Smallmouth are good lakewide on minnows, crankbaits, and jigs on rocky banks. White bass are good on shallow crankbaits and minnows on wind blown points and along the dam. Channel catfish are good with a few caught near cleaning stations and in the outlet area on nightcrawlers. Blue cats are fair on mud flats and around the docks on crappie entrails or fresh cut bait. Walleye are fair to good over mud flats towards the west end of the lake.
MILFORD: 80 degrees, stained, 1.6 feet high (1000 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Catfish are biting very well overall. Channel catfish are biting cut bait, worms, and stink bait. Blue catfish are typically caught on fresh cut bait on wind blown flats and river channel ledges. Big blues have been reported recently. Crappie are fair 10-20 feet deep suspended near points, flooded brush, and ledges on jigs and minnows and should still be shallow, too, on warmer days. Walleye are slow to fair on rocky or wind-swept mud banks with jigs, crankbaits, or bottom bouncers. White bass/wipers are good along windy banks and points using jigs on the reservoir. Black bass are biting well. Look for smallmouth on gravel banks and points. Largemouth should be relating to woody cover and transitioning to deeper water. Topwater early and late should be good.
PERRY: low 80s, stained, 2.2 feet high (500 CFS) Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: Anglers are catching their limits of cats at Devil’s Gap/Hog Toff using Sonny’s dip bait Triple S while chumming with beans. Skipjack and whole shad have been a producer as well. Crappie are good in brush piles 12-15 feet on jigs and minnows. Whites are being found and seeing some surfacing activity in the mornings.
POMONA: 80 degrees, stained, 1 foot high (15 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: No major changes. Catfish are your best bet. Good baits are worms, dip baits, sunfish entrails, cutshad, and stink/prepared baits. Both of the parks provide many good shorelines for bank fishing. Walleye can be found on the flats but are slow. Trolling nightcrawlers or crankbaits is the ticket. Crappie are in summer patterns but can be found shallower than you think. Work the shallow areas then move deeper. Some nice fish caught especially around the rock quarry on dark jigs and/or minnows. White bass/wipers have been slow but look for them on drop offs near the creek channel.
SHAWNEE MISSION PARK: 86 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Johnson County Parks and Rec reports: trout are slow to fair on powerbait. Crappie and bluegill are hitting small plastics, worms, and minnow imitation lures. Catfish are fair on cut bait. Bass and wipers are fair on plastic baits and squarebills.
TUTTLE CREEK: 82 degrees, clear, 2.5 feet high (6000 CFS) Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife reports: no major changes. Crappie are good lakewide on brush 8-12 feet deep. Minnows are most effective. Catfish are fair on fresh cut bait on flats and channel swings. Be sure to check your catfish for any tags. Coves in southern third of the reservoir have some locally good largemouth bass populations but fishing has been fair lately. The McIntyre Cove has produced the best. Saugeye are fair to good and best in the River Pond or at Rocky Ford.
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.