Fishing report: Water temps drop, fish moving shallow, and extended Taneycomo report
Missouri
BLUE SPRINGS: mid to upper 70s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group reports: White bass can be found lakewide. Bandit 200s and 300s are a good trolling option that will get the whites, crappie, and hybrids. Hybrids have been hitting live shad near the dam. Largemouth have been slow in the last week. Try jigs or 10-inch worms dropped in tight to standing timber on points. Topwater is getting better early in the mornings. Crappie can be found trolling or dipping trees. 4 bass at about 10.22 pounds won the most recent tournament.
BULL SHOALS: 85 degrees, dingy to clear, 16.5 feet high and falling Outlook: Del Colvin Guide Service reports: limited access to ramps still. September junk fishing! ACE has been pumping the water out which has some of the fish moving out on the points and there’s baitfish suspended deep off the points. 10-15 feet early, 22-28 feet drop shot later in the day. Find the bait, find the fish! If it’s hot, go deep. If it’s cloudy and windy, go shallow! Getting up early for topwater with poppers and Berkley wake bait has been good. Try whopper plopper, buzz bait, or chatterbait for powerfishing “shallow” if it’s cloudy or stormy. Target shallow flats close to old creek channels with runoff. Work major creeks 1/2 way back and out to the main lake point. As sun comes up, change tactics. Smallies/Kentuckies are stacked out on long main and secondary points, sunken islands, humps, channel swings, bluffs, and bluff ends but are closer to main lake points in 26-32 feet. With shad present, fish position will change depending on sun, wind, current, clouds, etc so keep it moving. The shad are moving and so are the fish. You can also try 1/2 oz jig in green pumpkin orange or GP blue. Smallmouth are on gravel banks. Good part is the big crowds are thinning out. Check out Del Colvin’s online fishing report on YouTube. Below the dam: John Berry of Berry Bros. Guide Service reports: Heavy generation and no wadable water. The White has fished well. The hot spot has been Rim 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 San Juan worm with a peach worm suspended below it).
JACOMO: low to mid 70s, clear, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group reports: catfish are hitting deep in 20 feet or more of water on fresh cut shad. Some big channels have been taken recently. Crappie will be 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. White bass are all over the lake, including out in front of the dam. Find them on your graphs. Look for bass along the weedlines in the coves. Find the bait and you’ll find the fish. They’ll be up shallow here the more water temp begins to drop.. Bluegills are very good on small jigs tipped with pieces of nightcrawlers or crickets.
JAMES A. REED: 70 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Missouri Dept. of Conservation reports: channel catfish are good on live and prepared baits. Largemouth fair on a variety of baits. Crappie good on jigs and minnows under a bobber early and late in the day. All other species slow.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS: upper 70s, slightly stained, 1.5 feet low Outlook: bassingbob.com reports: flipping and skipping docks has been the best producer for bass on the lower end and upper end. Creek bite is heating up, especially on the docks with brush. Look for the docks that are holding shad. For crappie, dock shooting has been productive where there has been at least 25 feet of water at the end of the dock. They’ve been in the shade and hitting the best in the morning on jigs and minnows.
LONGVIEW: 77 degrees, clear, low Outlook: Longview Marina reports: The corps. began drawing the lake down on Sept 8 at a rate of 50 CFS for 10 days to a target level of 890 to facilitate the EDG cylinder repairs starting on Sept 21 and the dive inspection on Sept 25. Catfish are biting really well right now around the marina area. Crappie can still be found in the creek arms around timber, a lot of 7-10 inchers. Marina open 8am-6pm and is stocked with minnows, worms, and chicken liver in stock but need a mask to enter.
NORFORK: 79 degrees, clear, 8 feet high Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: best bite in the last week has been the white bass. Other bass bass are starting to school on the main lake though. Bink’s Spoon 3/8ths oz has been the ticket. Stripers are still deep and not feeding. Walleye are feeding at about 30 feet on ½ oz Bink’s Spoons.
POMME DE TERRE: 78 degrees, clear, 0.4 feet high Outlook: Pomme Muskie Guide Service reports: Bass are still hitting well and biting shallow. Topwater is a good option early in the morning, then move to jigs or worms on shallow cover. Muskies are hitting better in the last week. Look for them with large lures like black bucktail spinners around docks. Crappie are still pretty slow but you can find them if you put the work in.
SMITHVILLE: mid to upper 70s, clear, 0.2 feet high (8 CFS) Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: main lake brush piles 10-15 feet deep are still key for the crappie right now. Drop a minnow right to the top of the brush. Bass are poor with lots of small fish being caught on the main lake around the grass. Buzz baits, frogs or senkos are good choices for the grass. Catfish are fair to good in 10 feet or less on dough or dip bait. Some nice flatheads and blues are also being caught on trot & limb lines. Goldfish or cut shad are best for these methods. Watch for the whites busting the surface, chasing shad, in the morning or evening. Walleye are poor. Your best bet is trolling a medium diving crank bait on main lake points. A few small ones are being caught but few keepers.
STOCKTON: mid to upper 70s degrees, clear, 4 feet low (660 CFS) Outlook: Tandem Fly Outfitters reports: everything is transitioning to their fall pattern. Fish are starting to move shallow across the board. Use the same techniques, but start looking in the mouths of the creek arms. Walleye are fair vertically jigging crawlers or pulling bottom bouncers. Look for them on main lake points using a 1/8th- 1/4oz jig tipped with a night crawler. With a bottom bouncer and a worm harness, target main lake points and main lake flats. The whites are still active and schooling throughout the lake still around points surrounded by flats in the evenings. 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. Very light bite and have to work through a lot of little guys. The bass are on main lake and secondary points and really starting to smash a squarebill, wakebait, buzzbait, and jigs.
TABLE ROCK: 80 degrees, clear main lake (clear to stained in rivers), 1.3 feet low Outlook: Eric Prey of Focused Fishing Guide Service reports: Bass: Most are being caught around 28’-35’ deep on long gravel points on the main lake with a drop shot rig. Smallmouth are starting to move up shallow with the cooler days and cooler water temps, look for them to be on mixed gravel and rock main lake points 12’ - 20’ deep with a Pee Wee Jig, shaky head or Ned rig. The topwater bite early and late on steeper shady banks is still producing a few fish a day, the key is to follow the shade and keep your bait in the shade to get bit. Crappie: Most are coming off deep brush around docks in the rivers, live minnows below a slip float set at 15’ – 18’ has been the best option. White Bass: still tough to find, a few are being caught trolling flats with small crank baits 10’ - 15’ deep over 25’. Occasionally you will find them schooling on the surface in the river arms early in the morning.
TANEYCOMO: 56 degrees, clear, no generation Outlook: Phil Lilley of Lilleys’ Landing reports: Generation has all but halted and it seems lower now than it used to be in the past when water was shut off. The bottom has changed quite a bit in the trophy area. Just below the dam, the gravel has moved down and filled in holes. The channel at the Narrows is much narrower and not as deep. Some of our guides have said they’ve hit bottom trying to go through. There’s a big gravel island at the Narrows too where you can get off and wade from. Lately, we’ve seen quite a few small rainbows in 3-5 inch range. These trout are full finned, beautiful colors, and appear to be naturally spawned in the lake, not stocked. There’s been some discussion on this between guides, locals, and conservation experts. It’s possible we’ve had a good, natural spawn this last winter/spring, which may or may not happen each year. Because of the additional pondweed in the lake, especially in the trophy area, these rainbows have survived being eaten and are thriving. This past Thursday night, Missouri Department of Conservation officials performed a shock survey in which several boats shocked, took measurements and released fish in the upper lake. One thing they found is when they shocked the pondweed beds, it would light up with small fish - rainbows, chubs, sculpins, and other small forage fish. We’ve been catching feeding trout on several small lures under a float anywhere from 6 inches to 5 feet deep. I’ve been fly fishing and using Zebra Midges, size 16 in bright red and green, the P&P (primrose and pearl), brown and even white. The olive micro jig has been working good, as well as the Berkley Pink Worm. Use 2-pound line for the best effort, but 4-pound line is good. Our water clarity isn’t the best since they aren’t running much water. Night crawlers are still king of the big trout and the hot area is from the Riverpointe Estates boat ramp to Short Creek. Use 4-pound line, a small split shot and a #8 short shanked, bronze hook. I’d put the shot about 18 inches above the hook and use half a worm, hooking it one time in the middle and inject a little air in the worm using a syringe. With the water off, we’re throwing 1/32nd ounce jigs using 2-pound line and doing pretty well working the jigs close to the surface, especially during low light times. Dark colors are working the best - black, olive, sculpin, brown and combination colors. Keep switching until you find the one they want.
TRUMAN: mid 70s, stained, 1.5 feet low Outlook: trumanlakefishingintel.com reports: crappie are being caught shallow in the river arms less than 8 feet of water on minnows and jigs. They will be in deeper brush piles on the lower lake. Largemouth bass are good and hitting shallow in less than 5 feet of water on main lake flats and secondary points. Squarebill and spinnerbait on flats anywhere around bait should produce along with big worm and jigs fished on shallow trees. White bass/hybrids can be found by the dam and KK Island area. 1 oz spoons or live shad should be your go to. Catfish has been a tough bite but you can find them on the flats in 8-12 feet of water drift fishing with fresh cut shad. Osage arm has been the best. Visit trumanlakefishingintel.com for daily reports from the experts.
Kansas
CLINTON: mid to upper 70s, stained, 0.2 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 10-20 feet deep mostly on jigs. Channel cats fair on shad, cut bait, or minnows. White bass fair/good casting crankbaits on the dam or windy points. Wipers have been mixed in. Look for humps in deep water along channel breaks to target wipers.
COFFEY COUNTY: upper 70s-mid 80s, stained, normal Outlook: KDWPT reports: Largemouth are slow/fair fishing around shallow woody cover with topwater and jigs. Walleye are slow/fair on bottom bouncers, crankbaits, rattletraps, and twister-tail grubs worked along rocky shore line. Humps and points should produce some bites. Catfish have been fair/good on wind blown banks or creek channel swings and humps. Crappie fair in deep standing timber and brush piles or near the channel breaks on jigs or minnows. Smallmouth fair on crankbaits, swimbaits, and finesse plastics around rocky habitat. Whites/wipers are fair/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. Entrance gate phone number is 620-364-2475, call for lake conditions.
EL DORADO: low 70s, stained, 0.5 feet low (12 CFS) Outlook: KS Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism: Wipers/white bass are fair to good on 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. Crappie are fair in standing timber and brush piles 12-15 feet deep on minnows or trolling with crankbaits. Blue cats are fair near river channels in the lower 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.
GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE): 66 degrees, clear, 0.8 feet high (50 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: find crappie around the grate on the north end of the dam. Also look at submerged structure and channel drops in 20-25 feet of water to find them. Walleye are fair near the mouth of Mill Creek and Walnut Creek as well as toward the upper end, all in 20 feet or less. Smallmouth bass fishing is excellent. Anglers are focusing on the state park along the north shore and along the dam. 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 twister tails, roadrunners, and Rattletraps.
HILLSDALE: 72 degrees, stained, 0.5 feet high (15 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Crappie are fair on structure and brush near channel ledges, biting well on jigs and minnows 12-16 feet deep. White bass fair on wind blown points. Channel cats are fair/good being caught lakewide at dusk on natural and artificial baits. All other species slow or no reports.
KILL CREEK PARK: 73 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Johnson County Parks and Rec reports: trout are slow to fair, try powerbait. Crappie and bluegill are good on nightcrawlers and minnows. Bass have been good on jigs. Catfish are fair on dough bait and nightcrawlers.
LA CYGNE: mid to upper 80s, stained, normal Outlook: KDWPT reports: fish feeders off for the season. Catfishing is good from shore using sunfish or cutshad, worms, prepared baits, or liver. Start at the creek mouth. Crappie are biting well on structure. Some caught off the wall gates where water is released at the dam and also on Georgia cubes. White bass are good using shad imitations or silver spoons in the creek mouth area. Hybrids are tough to come by. Notes from area local: Best bass bite has been yum dinger green pumpkin red fleck rigged wacky style. Some keepers caught on green pumpkin tube. Look for topwater to pick up in the mornings.
MELVERN: 73 degrees, clear, 0.1 feet low (20 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 in 10-20 feet of water. Smallmouth are fair lakewide on shallow crankbaits. Dam area should pick up in the early mornings here soon. White bass are fair on shallow crankbaits and minnows on wind blown points and along the dam. Channel catfish are good on nightcrawlers and liver lake wide. Blue cats are fair on cut bait on mud flats and in the outlet pond. All other species slow or no reports.
MILFORD: 76 degrees, stained, 1.5 feet high (400 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Catfish are fair to good lakewide. 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. Crappie are fair 10-20 feet deep suspended near points, flooded brush, and ledges on minnows. Walleye are slow to fair on rocky or wind-swept mud banks with jigs, crankbaits, or bottom bouncers. White bass/wipers fair along windy banks and points using jigs on the reservoir. Black bass fair on gravel banks and points.
PERRY: 73 degrees, stained, 1.4 feet high (25 CFS) Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: crappie are in brush piles 8-14 feet deep. Catfish are good lakewide using beans and Triple S dip bait, shrimp, or chicken liver. Whites are being found at the Devil’s Gap area and getting better.
POMONA: 71 degrees, stained, 0.1 feet low (15 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Catfish are fair to good on worms, dip baits, sunfish entrails, cutshad, and stink/prepared baits. Both of the parks provide many good shorelines for bank fishing. Crappie are biting well on minnows in the rock quarry and in brush piles. All other species slow.
SHAWNEE MISSION PARK: 72 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Johnson County Parks and Rec reports: trout are slow to fair on powerbait. Crappie and bluegill are fair on small plastics, worms, and minnow imitation lures. Catfish are fair on cut bait. Bass and wipers are good on plastic baits and squarebills. Topwater picking up.
TUTTLE CREEK: 72 degrees, stained, 4 feet high (100 CFS) Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife reports: Crappie are better and being found in brush 10-14 feet deep on jigs/minnows. Lake and connected river system have a great population of channels and they are biting shallow. You’ll find bass in the southern third of the reservoir. Saugeye are fair to good and best in the River Pond or at Rocky Ford.